Fire and Ice
by KakashiKrazed
Summary: Kakashi knew he'd regret accepting the ANBU recon mission to the Land of Snow.But with his students no longer needing him, he had nothing better to do with his time.He should have realized his past in this land would come back to haunt him.It always does.
1. A Bad Day For Wolf and Raven

Chapter 1

A Bad Day For Wolf and Raven

Kakashi lay sprawled on the icy ground, his breath forming small white puffs through the dark cloth mask which covered the lower half of his face...his ANBU mask long since shattered by a well-placed kick to his head. He glared up at the circle of men whose pale gray pupil-less eyes stared back at him with obvious contempt. Each of them wore clothing in shades of light tan and white in what he would have mistaken for civilian in style but that allowed them full movement of their bodies during the fight. While his mind filed that bit of information away, he noticed that none of them wore any sign of which village they swore allegiance to.

Kakashi's chakra pathways had been blocked rather effectively over the course of what had to be one of the most intense battles of his life, and he could feel his blood seeping out of more than a few wounds...most notably the deep slash across his lower back A sharp pain in his left upper back every time he tried to breathe made it clear he was sporting at least a few cracked ribs on top of the numerous cuts scattered across his body. He took a small amount of satisfaction, however, in the fact that the red-stained snow around him was not entirely caused by his blood.

Kakashi hadn't been this thoroughly over-matched in quite some time, and he was definitely not enjoying the way the group was eying him at the moment. It made him feel like a fox that had been cornered by a pack of wild dogs at the end of a hunt. He tensed when the circle of men closed in on him and did his best to knock away the groping hands that tried to subdue him. He managed to swing his legs out and clip one of them mid-calf, bringing the man down hard, before Kakashi had to roll out of reach of a second man's heel that came careening toward his head. Without the majority of his chakra to tap into, Kakashi had to rely solely on his taijutsu skills. Thankfully he'd honed those over the years by sparring with Gai, and it was obvious this group of rogue ninja hadn't expected him to have such skills.

To Kakashi's obvious dismay, the group rather quickly adjusted their attacks to take into account this new challenge, and he found himself being beaten back down until his cheek was laying against the icy ground once more. This time, he felt more than one firm knee pinning him down and eliminating any chance he might have had to launch into another attempt at freedom.

Throughout all of this, none of his attackers spoke a single word...to him, or to each other...and yet they were able to change their methods seamlessly to take into account every new angle he threw at them. With the constant falling of the snow, it added to the surreal nature of the battle and made Kakashi wonder if he'd been caught in some strange genjutsu.

A low hiss escaped through his teeth when a firm hand gripped his hair and yanked his head back until he had a clear view of his ring of captors. Every one of them had the same pale, almost lifeless gray eyes, but that was where their similarities ended. Some were short and squat with dark curly hair, while others were tall and thin with thick brown hair that stuck out at strange angles. Their skin varied in shade as well, with a mix of deep brown all the way to skin so pale it made Kakashi look tan in comparison.

Finally, after far too long in Kakashi's opinion, one of the men kneeling on his back spoke into his ear. The voice sounded slightly breathless making Kakashi think that perhaps he'd managed to give as good as he got after all.

"Why are you here, shinobi?"

When Kakashi didn't respond quick enough, the hand fisted tighter into his hair pulling out a pained gasp along with his reply. "I was just enjoying a stroll through the countryside."

The knee in the small of his back ground down into his wound, while the hand in his hair pulled tighter still. "Perhaps I wasn't clear enough......_why_ are you _here_?"

Kakashi let a small growl. "Because you're kneeling on my back, genius."

The knee pressed harder still, and the hand in his hair pushed Kakashi's face back down into the snow with such force that his vision momentarily blurred. He felt one knee lift off of him, but the other three remained. Just as Kakashi's vision cleared he saw who must have been the man who spoke to him move to the group in front of him.

This man was far taller than the others, and was similarly dressed to them except that there was a thick red sash wrapped around his waist with a tanto securely fastened through it. The hilt of that blade was wrapped in a matching red cord, and the way the man's hand casually rested on it made it clear to Kakashi that he was likely quite skilled with it. His dark hair fell in a curly wave across his shoulders and he peered down at Kakashi from those damnable gray eyes set within nearly snow white skin. Kakashi noticed with a small kernel of satisfaction that the man's angular face was sporting the signs of a large bruise along his jaw, and it was obvious this had been one of those who had miscalculated his taijutsu skills.

Two others walked into Kakashi's line of sight...one with dark brown skin and charcoal black hair, wearing a blue sash with matching tanto, and the other with hair nearly as light as his own. This man's body was built closer to the compact muscular build of someone like his friend Asuma, and as he cleaned his blade before settling it back into his green sash, Kakashi had a feeling he now knew which of his attackers managed to land the blow across his lower back.

This last arrival frowned as his gaze fell on Kakashi. "I should kill him."

The red-sashed man chuckled lightly. "Calm yourself, Jaken. _She_ wants to meet him."

Kakashi watched Jaken's hand tighten on the hilt of his blade. "Why waste the time, Chuushin? You know this will end just like it always does. Let me kill him now and be done with it. Why waste any more time?"

While these two bickered back and forth, the third sashed man stepped closer to Kakashi and knelt in front of him. He slid his tanto out of its sheath and used the tip of the blade to tip Kakashi's head up off the cold ground. When the man spoke, it was with a deep voice that seemed to come from the bottom of the man's chest.

"Why this one, Chuushin? He's imperfect."

The taller man sighed dramatically. "You know she can't send more than the basics at this distance, so why ask such a thing, Kobushi?"

Kakashi felt the tip of the blade dig through his mask and into his skin as it was pulled free, adding a bit more of his blood to stain the compacted snow beneath him. The dark-skinned man stood and returned his blade to its sheath.

"Fine. But when she tires of him _you_ can be the one to clean up the mess."

Kakashi's mind was spinning with all the information these three men were providing, but there was so much more that he had no hint of. For starters...who the hell were they? This strange group betrayed nothing about where they loyalties lay beyond this mysterious woman who had somehow let Chuushin know she wanted to meet him.

He had known when the Hokage called him in to her office two weeks ago that this was likely going to be a difficult mission. After all, it was rare for Tsunade to require him to take on his ANBU Wolf persona, and rarer still for her to look nervous while giving his ANBU cell a briefing. Now...as he was pulled roughly to his feet and his arms were tied in such a way that he could barely twitch a muscle...he was starting to understand her anxiety. To have such an organized group of rogues was bad enough, but to have one that could best an ANBU recon cell was another matter all together...especially when they were laying claim to the borders of one of Konoha's allies.

"What about these three?" Jaken motioned to where the remaining members of Wolf's cell were being dragged over.

Kakashi forced himself not to react when the bloodied and broken bodies of Jackal, Raven and Tiger were thrown to the ground in between himself and his enemy. Two of them – Jackal and Tiger – made no movement after the rough treatment, while Raven at least attempted to twist his body to minimize any additional damage. All three were sporting severe wounds and it was with a heavy heart that Kakashi understood why two of the three failed to move, even before Chuushin's voice filled the air.

"Take the one on top. She says the others are already gone. Jaken, eliminate all trace of those two...but bring their masks with us."

Raven was quickly trussed in a similar fashion to Kakashi...hands tied back to back, with additional bindings laced around his arms up past his elbows. The mask on his face was pulled off, revealing the scarred visage and unruly dark brown hair of Raido Namiashi. The man was just a handful of years older than Kakashi, and had to be one of the most stubborn men he'd ever met...a trait which was likely part of the reason he was still alive at the moment. The older jonin's eyes narrowed at the enemy as they pulled his mask away, but he held his tongue.

Kobushi grabbed Raido's chin in his hand and tipped the jonin's head until the patch of scarred skin that covered a good portion of his left cheek could be more closely examined. "This one's imperfect as well. Wherever they are from they obviously don't value their people as much as we do."

Chuushin stepped forward to peer at Raido as well. "Hmm...burns such as these would have killed most men. Perhaps we can test this ones limits later."

Kakashi couldn't help but tense at those words and he felt the hands gripping his arms tighten in response. The action did not go unnoticed. Jaken stepped to Kakashi's side and ran his fingers through Kakashi's hair in an almost sensual way.

"Don't worry...your comrade won't be the only who's tested before all is said and done."

"Jaken! Leave that one alone...you'll anger her!"

Kakashi felt the hand quickly drop from his hair and a low curse leave Jaken's lips as he moved to join the others. A knot formed in his stomach over just what this mysterious woman was capable of if mere mention of her anger set someone like Jaken on edge. Something told him he wasn't going to enjoy finding out the answer.

No further words were spoken from that point on, and Kakashi felt increasingly uneasy the farther into the icy terrain of these outlying lands they went. He was able to continue to analyze the enemy's uncanny ability to work without words, as several of the unnamed members of their group followed behind them and erased all trace of their passing.

Jaken and Kobushi took Raido in hand for this journey...not being gentle by any means, but at least making certain his fellow jonin didn't misstep during their travel. Meanwhile, Kakashi was being guided by Chuushin and a fourth sashed man...this one wearing orange...that he had not noticed until now. This man was nearly the twin of Chuushin in height and skin tone, but where the man wearing the red sash had dark curly hair, this wearer of orange was bald. Their grips near his elbows were firm, and they kept him moving at a pace that proved to be rather wearing without having access to his chakra.

Kakashi could feel his chakra coils surging...trying to find a way to flow through his body...and the buildup of pressure within his system was increasing with each step they took. In the past, Kakashi had made sure to work with the Hyuga clan to find out what having his pathways blocked for extended periods of time would do to him. He knew from that experience that the longer the flow was blocked, the harder it would be to control his chakra once that blockage was removed. The maximum length of time he'd been subjected to in his training had been six hours, so he was fairly certain that he'd be okay so long as it didn't take too much longer to get to their destination. Of course, that also made the assumption that these strange ninja actually _would_ release the blockages.

Kakashi pushed that negative thought far from his mind. Thinking that way would do nothing but ensure his defeat. His footing slipped on an exceptionally icy patch of rock and the grips on his arms tightened to the point of bruising in their task of keeping him on his feet. Still, they continued forward for nearly three more hours before, at last, coming to a sudden stop. Kakashi's muscles we screaming at the grueling pace they'd used, but he pushed the discomfort away and concentrated on where they were.

All around them towered the icy cliffs of one of the most remote areas of Snow Country, and Kakashi understood why no one had heard of this band of rogues before now. These lands were seldom traveled...even by natives to this area...which meant that this group would have been left alone to grow in strength and numbers without the prying eyes of the locals.

Kakashi was dragged forward until he was facing the smooth surface of the nearest cliff face. Once there, he was forced to his knees and the hands that had been clutching his arms were moved to hold his shoulders with their vice-like grips. His breath was coming in deep gasps at this point and he watched helplessly as Raido was placed in a similar position just next to him.

The two Konoha jonin shared a quick glance. It was all they needed to understand that, no matter what happened, they would never allow their enemy the satisfaction of using them against each other...even if it meant allowing the other man's death.

Before they could communicate more than that basic fact, they were both pushed forward into low bows before the cliff face. Kakashi felt an intense wave of chakra pass over him, and unexpectedly found his own blocked energy try to rush out to counter it of its own accord...only to be stopped within his body by the blocked pathways. The resulting surge of pressure was enough to cause Kakashi to groan in reaction. He twisted his head toward where Raido was kneeling but found his comrade was not openly experiencing this same level of discomfort. He did see unhidden concern for him within Raido's eyes though, and Kakashi did his best to assure the man that he was okay with a slight nod of his head.

"You have done well, boys. Your skill with my gifts exceeded my expectations."

The sound of an older female's voice echoed off the cliff face making it impossible to tell where she was standing. So when Kakashi was pulled back up to kneeling from his forced bow, it came as a bit of a shock that the owner of the voice was standing less than two feet in front of him.

The woman stood before him with her hands hidden within the voluminous sleeves of her winter cloak. The light blue shade of the thick material was accented along the collar with a band of contrasting black fur, and there was an intricate pattern in thick silver cording that started at her narrow waist and spread down the lower portion of the cloak until it faded into the edges near her unseen feet. The hood on the cloak was trimmed in the black fur as well, and kept the woman's face too far in shadow for Kakashi to tell anything more about her.

She turned toward Raido and tipped her head slightly, as though trying to measure the man against some unknown standard. "Bring me his mask."

One of the others brought the white porcelain to the woman and held it before the shadowed hood, allowing her to have a clear view of the red painted design that was in the image of a raven. The woman chuckled and turned back toward where Raido glared at her.

"So I must wonder if this is meant to show you as a harbinger of death, or that you are one of the fabled Three Ravens meant to work together to eliminate those who challenge you?"

Kakashi watched as Raido kept silent under the intense scrutiny. And after a few more moments she sighed and focused on the mask once more. "It matters not to me which one you are, child."

A simple wave of one delicate gloved hand and the porcelain mask shattered into a thousand pieces without her ever touching it. "That life is over for you now."

A frown settled on Raido's face but he made no other reaction to the woman's action. Now Kakashi felt that hooded gaze slide back over to him. "And what of you, young one? What fierce creature did you hide behind when my family found you, hmm?"

Another of the nameless followers stepped forward with the shattered pieces of Kakashi's mask. Again that delicate hand slid out from the voluminous sleeve of the cloak, and this time...instead of shattering the porcelain...the pieces melded seamlessly back together until the face of the Wolf was staring up at Kakashi's captor.

The gloved fingertips slowly traced the red markings in silence for nearly two dozen heartbeats before the hooded face turned toward Kakashi. "So the face of the Wolf returns to these mountains. It has been quite some time since you've last visited here, child. Some said you were nothing more than a rumor while others claimed you were sent by Kami to ensure the continuation of the royal family."

Kakashi schooled his face into a blank slate and stared into the depths of the hooded shadows without comment. He watched the hand shift to take a firm grip on the mask and then pull it into her sleeve and out of sight. He found himself confused by the action and struggled not to let it show in his eyes. The woman turned away from him and faced the cliff. Another wave of chakra, similar to the one from before she had arrived, and then Kakashi watched a section of the cliff face slide open wide. The woman turned her head back toward them.

"Bring the Raven to the East Wing."

The two holding Raido pulled him to his feet and pulled him toward the cliff wall. The unnamed man at Kakashi's right shoulder spoke. "Your pardon, Lady Akuen...what of this one?"

She turned back to face Kakashi and he couldn't help but tense at her soft words. "Bring him to my inner chambers, Kontan. And gather your Brothers as well. Tonight we will discover just what makes this Wolf so intriguing...and see if he truly has been sent by Kami."

Kontan tightened his grip on Kakashi's arm. "And if he was not, my Lady?"

She chuckled lightly. "Then you and your Brothers may have him to do as you please to discover just where he and his companion come from."

Not for the first time today, Kakashi regretted ever accepting this mission.


	2. Hospitality

Chapter 2

Hospitality

Raido learned quickly that the East Wing was this group's version of ANBU Torture and Interrogation. He had been brought into a small room that seemed to be carved out of the surrounding mountain and contained nothing but a set of iron manacles hanging from the ceiling and leg irons at floor level. He'd remained docile on the journey from outside until he saw where they wanted him to be placed. In the blink of an eye, Raido allowed all of his pent up frustration over the loss of his ANBU teammates and his inability to tap into his chakra to be released in a quick burst of physical energy.

His captors had been taken by surprise when he pulled free of their grasp by twisting in such a way that he ended up behind them. He wasted no time and spun to land solid kicks into both men's backs resulting in them staggering forward and allowing Raido a chance to run at full speed away from them. Unfortunately, with his arms effectively out of commission with the intricate bindings, his bid for freedom was extremely short-lived...especially when he unwittingly ran straight into a group of the enemy around a blind corner.

The momentary surprise he read in their dull gray eyes was so short that he couldn't use it to his advantage at all, and before he knew it, he was pinned to the wall by one of the bulkier members of this disturbing group. The two men he'd slipped away from walked toward him radiating intense anger, and Raido knew he'd not be allowed to make such an attempt again any time soon.

Still, at least he had been able to judge the enemy a bit more. And as Kakashi always liked reminding him...knowing the enemy was the first step to defeating them. As Raido was forcibly dragged back to where the chains awaited him, his thoughts went back to his teammate. He wondered if Kakashi was being held in a similarly depressing cell, or if the younger man was even still alive. Although, considering the way Akuen had acted around Kakashi, he had the disturbing feeling that his ANBU Captain was in for a worse night than he was.

Raido was forced back onto his knees once they'd maneuvered him into the small room, and he couldn't help but growl as he felt his ANBU boots pulled off his feet before the thick metal leg irons were applied to his ankles. One of the two enemy manhandling him fisted Raido's hair to keep him still while the other released the bindings on his arms. Next, his ANBU arm guards and gloves were removed before the dangling chains were quickly and efficiently settled into place on his wrists. Shortly after that, the last of Raido's ANBU gear was removed and tossed onto the other items, leaving him in nothing more than his sleeveless black shirt and matching trousers.

The chains on his wrists were adjusted so that his arms were pulled up over his head, stretching his body above his bent knees, and exposing him to whatever his captors had in mind without him having any way to avoid it. The blows, when they came, surprised him for two reasons...first, they weren't made to damage – rather they were used to unblock his chakra paths...and second, they were not followed by any further strikes.

Raido blinked in disbelief when the two sashed men turned and left him alone in the room, pausing just long enough to gather the discarded pieces of his ANBU uniform before leaving him alone without a single word. None of this made any sense to him. It was basic T & I protocol to take advantage of the first twenty-four hours of a prisoner's captivity to prey on their weakened state of mind and body and pry out as many secrets as possible. Instead, these people removed the blocks on his chakra and left him relatively unscathed.

Nothing in this capture made sense, and he was beginning to recognize that he would not be able to rely on normal patterns to find a way out of this mess. So he decided to take advantage of this unexpected respite and he relaxed his body as much as he could within such an awkward position. He lowered his head and closed his eyes, willing himself into a meditative state of rest, making sure to block his injuries out of his mind. He concentrated on trying to restore as much of his mental and physical energy as he could before he would be visited again.

-- --

* * *

Kakashi was pulled along through endless corridors until he wondered if the enemy's plan was simply to keep him moving until exhaustion stole his consciousness. He stumbled for the tenth time, although the constant vice-like grips on his arms kept it from being more than a slight trip, but Kakashi knew it was another sign that his stamina was running thin. The long stone hallways were empty of all life, and Kakashi thought he'd lose his mind if he had to stay holed up in such a place for long. He was a soldier of Konoha, after all, and his place was amidst the lively green forests of his village...not this desolate, dark and cold place.

Thoughts of his home helped settle Kakashi's racing mind, and allowed him to maintain some sense of composure while being manhandled down yet another narrow corridor. This time, however, they stopped at an arched doorway that was framed out in a rich, dark wood that flawlessly matched the double-door set into it. The door was relatively plain...with two thick bands of dark metal running from the top to the bottom of each piece.

Kakashi was pulled back to the wall opposite that doorway and pinned against the cold stone surface by Kontan's well-placed forearm. Chuushin moved quickly and proceeded to remove Kakashi's boots with relative ease. The two pale men then took turns removing the remainder of Kakashi's ANBU gear...including his hidden kunai pouch from his inner thigh...until all that was left of his outer uniform were his gauntlets and gloves. Kakashi waited patiently for them to make the mistake of freeing his arms...because even with no access to his chakra, there were still a dozen ways he could kill both these men once his arms were loose.

Kakashi schooled his features into a look of disinterest when Kontan moved to loosen the bonds around his wrists, but couldn't help but scowl when Chuushin stopped the other man from proceeding. Again, all communication between the two was silent, leaving Kakashi to try and guess why the other wasn't allowed to finish.

Before he could think about it for too long, the doors swung open into a room that was the complete opposite of the rest of what Kakashi had seen of this mountain hideout...and Kakashi couldn't help but widen his eyes in stunned surprise.

He was pushed through the doors and into a room with thick furs covering the floors, and detailed tapestries lining every inch of the walls. His feet sank into the plush floor covering and it took a moment for Kakashi to keep from stumbling again on the unconventional surface...particularly with his arms still pinned behind his back.

The room was cast in a soft glow from at least twenty hanging candles attached to the ceiling from delicate sliver chains, and in the center of the room sat a low rectangular ebony table surrounded by six white cushions...three along the long side nearest the door, one on either short end, and one more on the side farthest away. Kakashi noticed a group of six young children holding covered trays stood attentively along the left wall. Another set of double doors graced the far wall...these ones intricately carved out of what looked to be alabaster...but before he could notice more than that he was forced to his knees onto one of the cushions at the table.

Kontan took up position on the cushion to his right, while Chuushin took the cushion to his left. Each man continued to maintain control over Kakashi with their hands firmly on his shoulders. They sat that way for countless minutes before the other two sashed men stepped into the room and moved to the end cushions...Kobushi to the left, and Jaken to the right.

None of the men spoke while they waited, and the silence was so complete that when the far door finally opened the sound nearly caused Kakashi to flinch. Before he had a chance to register who was entering the room, the hands on his shoulders shifted to the back of his neck and forced him into another low bow...just barely missing the surface of the table with his head.

The sound of material sweeping across the fur-lined floor was Kakashi's only clue that anyone was approaching, and once the newly arrived person settled into the cushion across from him, Kakashi was pulled back into his kneeling position. His breath caught in his throat when his gaze settled on the figure across from him. There was no doubt this was the same woman who had met them outside the mountain...she was still dressed in the blue cloak after all. But now the hood had been pushed back to allow Kakashi his first view of just who his captor was.

The woman looked to be older than even the oldest of the Counselors back in Konoha. Her hair was long, straight and white as the snow outside, and most of it had been piled up on the top of her head in a precise coil that was held in place by two rather lethal looking silver senbon, leaving long tendrils of loose hair to frame either side of her face. Her skin was tanned and weathered, looking more like old leather than anything else. Thin lips held no real expression as she stared back at Kakashi from gray eyes that were surrounded by so many wrinkles that he couldn't keep the comparison to his nin-hound, Pakkun, from entering his mind. But those eyes were far sharper than his pug's would ever be, and he knew they were measuring him as surely as he was measuring her.

"Tell me your dreams, child."

Her soft voice surrounded Kakashi, and if he hadn't seen those thin lips move, he would have sworn she had spoken from behind him. He narrowed his gaze.

"My dreams are my own."

Kakashi saw something dangerous flash behind Akuen's eyes just before he felt Kontan's fingers dig painfully into his shoulder, pressing on one of many wounds that still hadn't been tended to. There was a slight twitch to the old woman's mouth when fresh blood made its way down Kakashi's bare shoulder, and it was followed by an almost hungry expression in her eyes that sent an involuntary shiver down his spine. She leaned forward and placed her gloved hands against the top of the table.

"Dreams are meant to be shared, my boy. I _will_ have you tell me yours."

Kakashi couldn't ignore the implied threat behind her words, but chose to remain silent, even when Kontan's damnable fingers dug into his skin once again, sending another rivulet of blood down his arm. Chuushin applied pressure on Kakashi's other shoulder and leaned in to whisper so only he could hear the words.

"It is best not to keep Lady Akuen waiting for long...it has proven _deadly _in the past."

So many responses to the unasked for advice popped into Kakashi's mind at that point...from telling them to go ahead and kill him, to informing them that letting people wait is a hard habit for him to break...but instead he chose to crinkle his eyes into a false smile and ignore Chuushin's advice altogether, choosing to respond directly to Akuen's comment instead.

"You first."

The fingers at his shoulders gripped tighter still, forcing a quiet gasp from his lips. If Akuen noticed at all she never showed it. Instead, those thin lips pulled up at the edges in some sick farce of a smile as she pushed away from the table to sit back once more. She slipped her hands back into her sleeves and chuckled softly. The painful grip on Kakashi's shoulders let up slightly at the sound.

"Some day soon, my child, I _will_ share my dreams with you...but not before you have earned that right."

Kakashi wasn't too sure what to make of that answer but he decided not to waste energy on worrying about it quite yet. "I see...perhaps that will be when I share mine as well."

Now Akuen's lips curled back into an actual smile and revealed rows of razor-sharp teeth that reminded Kakashi instantly of the Mist ninja, Kisame and Zabuza's teeth. Was it possible this woman hailed from Mist as well?

"Perhaps indeed. Until that time, child, you will be my guest."

Kakashi raised his eyebrows at that comment and shrugged against the powerful hands still holding him in place. "And if I decline your hospitality?"

The smile disappeared from Akuen's face as quickly as it had appeared, and in the blink of an eye the woman had disappeared from in front of Kakashi and reappeared behind him. He could feel her hot breath on his neck, and he tensed when her gloved fingers slid between his tied hands and his back to dig into the wound Jaken had given him during their fight. Kakashi couldn't help but squirm under her touch in an attempt to pull away from her.

"Who said that was an option...hmm?"

A moment later, and she was back in her seat across the table from him...her blood-soaked fingers resting between her lips. She closed her eyes as she carefully licked every drop of fluid from her gloves, and only after she'd finished did she meet Kakashi's eyes once more. It was a bit disturbing for him to see the pleasure in her eyes...and when he watched the others at the table lean in toward her expectantly, Kakashi felt his heart speed up...especially when she spread her blood-stained lips into another grin.

"I know you now, Wolf...and I believe you will not be leaving our company for quite some time." She ran her tongue across her bloodied lips, reminding Kakashi of the many run-ins he'd had with Orochimaru over the years. "In fact, with each passing day I will taste more of your secrets."

Kakashi glared at her. "I will tell you nothing."

Akuen chuckled again. "Ah, but you already have..._Child of Konoha_."

Kakashi's eyes went wide. He tried to think back over the past day's events...to anything that he or Raido had said or done to give away where they were from. He could think of nothing...all of the ANBU were trained to avoid any mention of their Village...to do otherwise could be disastrous for Konoha.

The woman's words were soft now...nearly a whisper. "It is rare for those from the Land of Fire to venture this far north...but not so rare that I would forget that land's taste."

Her eyes took on an almost dream-like look. "I have longed for the day when I'd taste of Konoha's stock again. The last time was far too short for my liking."

She fixed those dead gray eyes on him once more. "Although the gift I drew from him has helped make us who we are today...which in turn has brought you into the fold. I wonder, Wolf, if you will be as generous with your gifts as he was?"

Kakashi growled at her. "Don't count on it."

Akuen stretched those thin lips into a grin, causing flecks of Kakashi's dried blood to fall on her blue cloak. "We shall see, child. I have been told I can be _quite_ persuasive. But this is a conversation that can wait until after we have fed."

At her words, the children along the wall swiftly deposited the covered trays in front of each of them and then, as one, removed the domed lids and withdrew from the room. Every plate held something different on it...including a steaming bowl of miso soup directly in front of Kakashi. He ventured a glimpse into that bowl and furrowed his brow when he spotted eggplant within the broth...his favorite. This entire situation was becoming far too bizarre for Kakashi's liking.

The others around the table were already digging in to the dishes in front of them...with the exception of Kakashi and Akuen. The elder woman sat watching him for a handful of minutes before she spoke again.

"I thought for certain you would enjoy the eggplant miso. Was I incorrect?"

"Even if I was crazy enough to join you for dinner...which I'm not, by the way...I have yet to figure out a way to eat without use of my hands."

The disturbing grin returned to her face. "Ah, yes...forgive an old woman her poor memory. Chuushin – see to our guest's eating arrangements."

The dark-haired man bowed curtly, and Kakashi waited for the moment he'd been hoping for...the moment when his hands would finally be free. He had already plotted out the quickest, most efficient ways to eliminate every one of these people within forty-seven and a half seconds...now all he needed was to be free of the bonds. So, when Chuushin ignored his tied wrists entirely and reached for his mask instead, Kakashi had a moment of complete and utter confusion...followed by a second of panic. He tried to twist away, but Kontan slipped his hand into Kakashi's hair to keep him still while Chuushin's fingertips worked their way under the thin material of his mask.

He scowled when that material was pulled down to expose his face. Akuen simply grinned wider until those lips exposed her pointed teeth once more. Next, Chuushin's fingers slid to Kakashi's jaw and forced his mouth open just enough to allow Kontan to tip some of the soup in. He tried to spit it out, but Chuushin was one step ahead of him and clamped his hand over Kakashi's mouth to keep that from happening.

"There...now that problem's solved." Akuen turned her head toward where Jaken was enjoying his dinner. "Once your Brothers have finished feeding the boy, Jaken, you are to take him to the East Wing until things are prepared."

Jaken glared at Kakashi. "As you wish, my Lady."

Kakashi's mind held tightly to Akuen's words. The East Wing...that was where she'd had Raido sent to. If he could just get to the man, the two of them may still manage to find a way out of this mess. Kakashi's grand plans came to a screeching halt with the next words out of Akuen's mouth.

"Oh, and be a good boy and bring me the Raven while you're at it. I'll need something to occupy my time until this one is willing to accept his place in our family."

Kakashi opened his mouth to argue, but his words were cut off with another mouthful of soup. It was with this second forced feeding that he recognized the beginnings of a sedative taking effect. He'd been in the hospital enough times in his life to be intimately familiar with upwards of two dozen varieties of the mind-numbing drugs, and because of this he was well aware that this particular version was not for lightweights. By the feel of it, the soup contained a rather large dosage, so he'd likely be unconscious in a matter of minutes.

Kakashi forced words through lips that were already starting to ignore his brain. "You'll...be waiting...a long time..."

Akuen leaned forward and ran her thumb across Kakashi's exposed lips, wiping away traces of the miso soup that had spilled during his feeding. "Then it is a good thing I'll have the company of Raven until then, my dear boy."

Kakashi's vision blurred and his awareness faded along with his consciousness.


	3. Birdsong

Chapter 3

Birdsong

Kakashi woke to the sound of giggles...definitely not what he'd expected by any stretch of his imagination. Hell, after his strange treatment during 'dinner,' he honestly figured he'd wake up stretched across a table and surrounded by bloodthirsty vampires biting into his limbs. After all...that had been what his nightmares had shown him while he had slept.

Instead, he was lying on a comfortable futon under a layer of thick blankets and furs. His arms were no longer pinned behind his back, and he could tell that his chakra pathways were no longer blocked. Unfortunately, his chakra coils _were_ still being suppressed, so it wasn't exactly what he'd call a step up. Kakashi sighed and pushed the covers off his body only to be greeted by another wave of giggles.

He turned toward where the sound was coming from and found that one complete wall of the room he was in was comprised of floor to ceiling windows...and that every available space on the other side of the glass had been taken up by more of Akuen's disturbing family members pressing their faces close to its surface...watching him like some prized bull. All were dressed in clothing similar in cut and color to the others he'd encountered, but the major difference with these people was that most of them were women and children – none looked to be older than twenty. Each and every one of them had the same vacant gray eyes, and currently they all had those gazes fixed on him. It was extremely annoying.

He growled and swung his legs over the side of the futon until his bare feet hit the floor. His toes sank into more soft fur and he couldn't help but wonder just how many beasts had given up their lives just so these rooms could be covered in their coats. He frowned at that thought and took a moment to block out the sounds of his unwanted crowd of admirers and concentrated on himself instead.

Kakashi was a bit disturbed when he realized he'd been stripped and redressed while he'd been unconscious. Gone were his familiar ANBU pants and masked shirt, and in their place was a version of the outfit his captors wore...right down to a silver sash tied around his waist. He noticed with a smirk that they hadn't chosen to give him its matching tanto though.

Kakashi ran his hands through his hair and settled them onto his neck where he found a thick metal collar fastened in place. Well, at least now he knew why he couldn't access his chakra...this had to be a suppression collar...obviously a step up from the bulky waist mounted versions he'd seen in the past. He slid his fingers around the circumference in the hopes of finding a release catch, but he already knew there wouldn't be one. These people were far too smart to make such a novice mistake.

Kakashi sighed and focused on the rest of the room. Aside from the futon and floor covering, the room was bare. He couldn't even see a door anywhere. He opened his sharingan in the hopes of finding something he'd missed and groaned at the instant pull on his nearly nonexistent chakra. Kakashi quickly closed it again and placed the palm of his hand against it trying to will away the migraine that already was coloring the edges of his vision...a definite drawback to having the damned eye.

Kakashi looked around in the hopes of finding something to use to cover the eye and spied a simple silver eye patch laid out on one of the pillows. He shook his head and wondered again how Akuen continued to know certain things about him. He considered ignoring the patch of silver, but a deep throbbing ache behind his scarred lid made up his mind for him.

The band slid into place easily enough, and Kakashi shook his head in frustration. He grumbled to himself. "Great...now I match my new outfit."

He pushed himself to his feet and was pleased to note his injuries had been healed...at least partially. He twisted his waist and barely felt a twinge from the gaping wound that had been across his lower back. Thoughts of that wound brought back the memory of Akuen digging into it with her gloved fingers. But that wasn't what sent the shiver down Kakashi's spine...it was how she'd reveled in tasting his blood.

Kakashi was not a superstitious man...in his line of work he couldn't afford to be...but even he was creeped out by the woman's obvious blood-lust. He thought back to the conversation in her chambers, and how it was only after she'd tasted his blood that she came up with her miraculous declarations about his village. So if this wasn't some grand vampiric trait, what did that leave? Kakashi took a deep breath and inhaled the scent of the room...even under all the layers of fur he could still smell the rich, earthy loam of the stone comprising the walls...a task made easier without his mask filtering the odor. With a faint smile he knew how Akuen had come up with such a dramatic declaration.

Much in the same way as he could determine the nation his enemies came from by their unique scent, it appeared this woman...this _Akuen_...could do the same from the taste of a person's blood. It wasn't unheard of. After all, Kakashi could remember reading of a particular clan in the older scrolls in his father's library that based all their jutsu off of the use of blood. In fact, it was that very clan had originated the summoning contracts with the fabled beasts throughout history...including the one he used for his own pack of nin-hounds.

He was brought out of his musings by another scent...this one far beneath the other, more obvious odors in his cell...for that's what he knew this was...despite the layers of comfort lining the bed and floor and the glass wall. This scent was old...nearly as old as the mountain surrounding him...and it reminded him of that mission so many years ago...when he'd pulled the young princess, Koyuki Kazahana, out of the bowels of a burning castle built of similar gray stone. If absolute evil had a scent, this was it...and Kakashi knew at that moment that this was most definitely _not_ going to be an easy mission to survive...any more than it had been the last time he'd encountered this scent.

Kakashi thought back on that past mission...to the man who wiped out his own brother in a play for power...and sent his forces after the frightened princess in the hopes of accessing the untold riches he assumed his brother had hidden from him. Kakashi's team had given up their lives to enable him to escape in the middle of the battle with the young girl in order to succeed at the mission. He could still remember the waves of intense evil that surrounded the castle that night, and he had truly hoped it had died along with the girl's uncle when he and Team Seven had ventured back to return Koyuki to her rightful throne just a handful of years ago.

But there was no way he could mistake that malignant stench. It permeated every inch of the cell and nearly caused him to choke. He'd had a similar reaction both of his previous times in the Land of Snow, and had convinced himself that it was simply his mind playing tricks on him in the heat of battle. But now, with the evil taint threatening to suffocate him while he was simply standing still, he was reexamining that line of thought.

Kakashi buried his nose into the crook of his arm and tried to block out the scent, and for a moment he managed it...but once he raised his face away from the white fabric of his shirt that smell hit him again with such force he couldn't help but stagger backward until his legs pressed up against the futon. Kakashi sat heavily onto the mattress and lowered his face into his sleeve once more, trying to push away the strange feelings that seemed to rush in from every side. It was then that he noticed the same pulling sensation he'd felt outside the mountain's entrance...it wasn't just the scent...no...he felt something reaching into his very core, and he fought it with every fiber of his being. He groaned against the chakra suppressor's effect and found his breath coming in short gasps as the malignant feeling continued to push in on him.

"She was right...he _can _sense it." A voice from the other side of the glass caught Kakashi's attention. It was a young girl's voice and it held a sense of awe to it.

"Of course she was right...she's _always_ right." An older voice this time...but still female.

"What are you all doing here? Have you finished your tasks so soon?" Kakashi cringed slightly. That voice he knew...it was Jaken.

He lifted his head from his arm and focused on where the man stood with the other three sash-wearers on the other side of the glass. They were busily sending Kakashi's audience back to whatever it was that they were supposed to be doing, and once the last child was shooed away, the men's attention went back to Kakashi. The look on all their faces was a cross between distaste and hatred, and Kakashi had a feeling he was not going to enjoy whatever came next.

Each of them stepped forward and leaned the palm of their left hand up against the surface of the glass wall, with a strange half-smile pulling at their lips. Kakashi tensed when their right hands came up...each in a different hand-sign...and activated some type of jutsu. From one moment to the next, Kakashi found himself dodging spouts of water, spears of fire, columns of earth, and strong currents of wind...each emanating from one of the men's hands.

He wanted nothing more than to respond in kind, but the chakra suppression collar made that an impossibility, so Kakashi went with the next best thing. Using one of the powerful taijutsu kicks he'd learned from Gai, he broke off a length of earthen column that had been sent to skewer him and he slammed it against the glass wall with all his strength. It hadn't had enough power behind it to completely shatter the wall, but it did manage to make a rather impressive crack stretch across its surface even as the earth fell apart in his hand...but, more importantly, it had broken all four men's concentration enough that their attacks faded away to nothing.

"Very good, child. You are proving to be exactly what I knew you would be...what I _need_ you to be."

Akuen's voice from behind Kakashi made his skin crawl, and he barely resisted the urge to scream out when her fingers ran possessively through the hair at his neck before settling on his right cheek. Unlike previous times, her hand was not gloved, and the feeling of those ice cold, bony fingers caressing his skin made him swallow back on the bile trying to escape his throat. This close up, it was easy to take in her scent...and it instantly reminded him of death.

Kakashi spun out of her grip and backed up against the far wall so she couldn't get behind him again. His eye went wide as Akuen slowly crossed to stand at the glass wall. Her pale fingers traced over the cracks in the glass and Kakashi watched her thin lips pull into a smile. Her hands flashed through a series of hand-signs before she slapped the palm of her right hand against the glass wall. Instantly, the broken shards of glass melded back together before the center portion of the wall sank into the floor.

Akuen stepped out into the hallway...the sashed men stepping aside with their heads slightly bowed. As she walked past them, two words floated from her mouth and sent a chill through Kakashi.

"Bring him."

Chuushin called out after her. "To where, my Lady?"

She turned back and grinned. "Set him up in the Initiation Suite...we will begin the process tonight."

Jaken's voice betrayed his confusion. "Tonight? Why wait?"

Akuen turned to walk away once more. "Because I need to make a certain bird sing for me before we can begin."

Kakashi's heart clenched as his thoughts went instantly to Raido. He could only hope his fellow jonin would survive whatever Akuen had in mind.

-- --

* * *

Raido wasn't sure when he'd fallen asleep, but he knew he was in trouble the moment he opened his eyes and found himself dangling over a pit of molten lava.

"Shit!"

He tried to move away from the heat but found the way his new bindings held him, it was impossible. He could feel the sweat bead up and roll off his body as it was buffeted by the waves of extreme heat, and for a moment, Raido was reminded of the searing heat and pain that had formed the thick layer of scar tissue across the left side of his face and down the left side of his chest.

He growled and pushed that thought from his head. Memories of the Kyuubi while he was trapped in this current hell weren't going to help him or Kakashi in any way. It wasn't like he could change what had already occurred, and he needed to keep focused on what was now...not what was already done and over. Which, he had to admit, would have been ten times easier if the heat wasn't still wafting up to envelop him.

Raido tried to get an idea of where his captors were and found he was actually alone in this strange room. Here, in the midst of all the cold and ice of Snow Country, he was being held captive in a relative furnace. He shifted once more, trying to keep the metal of his shackles angled away from the red-hot lava before the iron could heat up any more than it already had. He really didn't want to add any more burns to his body if he could avoid it.

Raido's musings were interrupted when he heard footsteps approaching from the far side of this cave. He schooled his face into a look of indifference and waited for the new arrival to speak. He didn't need to wait for long.

"You are quite the enigma, my little Raven." It was the old woman from earlier, and her voice ran up and down Raido's nerves like a cold knife.

The woman stepped closer to him, not seeming to even notice the searing heat of the lava pit below Raido. She tipped her head and observed him with an almost sinister look in her eyes. "I wonder just why someone with your obvious age and experience would defer to the likes of the child...are you any less a man than he is?"

Raido furrowed his brow in confusion, and his reply slipped out before he had a chance to stop it. "What child?"

She smiled at him...and Raido felt like he had fallen into some sort of trap. She leaned in over the lava and ran one gloved hand over his scarred cheek. "You aren't going to try to tell me you don't know who I'm talking about, are you?"

Raido's mind spun in on itself at the feel of her fingers caressing his skin. He knew she must have been referring to Kakashi...was likely fishing for his name...but he refused to give in to her game. Raido struggled to keep his thoughts from becoming words...and instead twisted his face into a sneer.

"Sorry Lady...I don't know any kids."

He watched her step back from him and slowly remove her gloves...her hands were bone white and held the slightly swollen joints of the aged. Still, they moved through a series of hand-signs as though she were no older than he was. He recognized a few of them...but soon her fingers were dancing through patterns he'd never seen before. Hell...he doubted if Kakashi had ever seen these ones.

"My dear Raven, I believe it is time for you and I to become better acquainted...don't you?"

Raido watched as she made a final sign and then stepped close to him once more...this time walking right over the molten rock as though it was not there at all, and gripping his face in her ice-cold hands. As he felt her fingertips tear into the flesh of his scarred cheek, causing blood to flow freely, he screamed out in pain. He could hear the sizzling below him when drops of his blood came in contact with the molten rock below them. It felt as though the Kyuubi was attacking him once more, and as that thought went through his mind, Raido felt Akuen's chakra push itself into his body through the gouges on his cheek.

"Now then, Raven...you hold the key to so many things I want to know about the child...things he is unwilling to share with me. And I am afraid I don't have the time to get the information through pleasant conversations."

Raido felt his heart race and his vision blur as the invading chakra moved deep into his body. He struggled to keep in control, but this was like nothing he'd ever experienced or trained for in the past. Even his advanced training with Ibiki Morino on methods of interrogation didn't prepare him for this.

"Let's start with an easy one, shall we? What is the child's name?"

Raido felt that invading chakra coil within his mind...making him want nothing more than to tell this woman everything she wanted to know...and more. He struggled to push back that urge and snarled while he answered.

"I already told you...I don't know any kids."

Akuen leaned in closer and bared her pointed teeth. The fingers in his cheek dug deeper and he felt a surge from the foreign chakra throughout ever fiber of his body. _"Tell me his name!"_

Raido knew he was in trouble when that chakra seemed to surround his tongue, and he found he could no longer control what words he formed. His eyes went wide...every muscle in his body tensed...and he felt absolute failure when he heard his own voice ring out into the room.

"Hatake...Kakashi Hatake."

Akuen's other hand ran through his hair and it sickened him when she whispered into his ear. "That was very good, my little bird. Now...I will have you tell me all you know...about Kakashi Hatake and, of course, about yourself as well."

Raido couldn't keep the sound of dismay from slipping past his lips and this caused Akuen to chuckle. "Don't be so shy, my little Raven. If you please me, I may decide you will make a nice addition to the family."

Raido closed his eyes against the overwhelming despair that sank into his heart and soul as surely as the foreign chakra sank into his mind. He could only hope Kakashi would be able to resist this woman better than he had...and would forgive him for not being strong enough to resist.


	4. Destiny's Pull

Chapter 4

Destiny's Pull

Kakashi wasn't entirely sure what was going on at the moment. He'd been led out of the East Wing and deep within the sprawling corridors that wound their way into the very heart of the mountainside. He'd lost track of how long they'd been walking and was certain that was part of his captors' plan. His body ached in ways he hadn't felt in years, and the lack of access to his chakra was something he found rather disturbing.

Still, he wasn't going to let that keep him from finding some way out of this mess. Or from finding out what happened to Raido. It was obvious from Akuen's comments that the man was still alive...but the question was, how much longer would that be true? Kakashi already knew Akuen was not someone to take lightly, and he feared his friend's life might be at risk if he didn't find some way to escape sooner rather than later.

A swift shove against his shoulder brought Kakashi out of his musings and redirected his steps into a narrow room off to the side. Kakashi kept his reaction controlled as he focused on this new environment. The room he was ushered into left him feeling wary almost immediately. All along the walls were recesses holding tall black pillars. Atop each of these sat a gleaming white skull...some were easily identifiable as various animals, while others kept Kakashi guessing at their origin. But the ones that truly worried Kakashi were those that were quite obviously human. Each skull held a candle that lit it up from the inside in an eerie glow. They stretched out along both sides of the long, narrow room, and seemed to watch him as he was escorted through what was just a prelude to his true destination.

They walked under a domed arch that looked to be lined with arm and leg bones, and it was when he first set foot in the next room that Kakashi felt the stirrings of true fear from the depths of his soul. He was moved into a wider area that was filled from wall to wall with tables holding bodies in various stages of decomposition. The sashed men around him had no reaction to the rows upon rows of carnage, and Kakashi found himself wishing he had his mask back in order to filter out at least some of the putrid scents from his over-stimulated senses. The farther they moved into the room, the fresher the bodies looked. In fact, they were now starting to pass by a handful of people that were actually still alive and moving...as much as being stretched out on steel tables could let them move, that is.

One of those bodies...a young woman of perhaps sixteen...turned her head until Kakashi got a clear view of green eyes that were partially glazed over. His first thought was that she was blind, but he saw those eyes following his movement through the room. Her skin was riddled with deep puncture wounds, and she had thin black cords tightly wrapped around various parts of her body in a mockery of clothing. But what caught and held his attention was a deep cut that ran from the juncture of the woman's left shoulder and her neck and went down her arm to stop right above her elbow. Various clips and fasteners were forcing that skin to stay open, and the blood that flowed sluggishly from the wound was being collected in a silver vessel set up directly under her elbow.

When Kakashi was pushed past the woman, he noticed Jaken pause at her elbow and dip his fingers into the thick red fluid before lifting them to his mouth to lick them clean. Ever conscious of the eyes that continued to watch him, Kakashi pushed down the shiver that threatened to run through his body.

Chuushin chuckled from behind Kakashi. "Has she lost her edge yet, Jaken?"

The sound of the man's fingers sliding from his mouth was followed by a contented hum. "Still sweeter than most...but she's starting to taint. Still, if she lasts a bit longer she might just be a contender."

Kakashi frowned. Contender for what, he wondered. The farther into the room they went, the more he felt out of his element...and the more he felt that unnamed pressure pulling at him. He wished fervently that he'd wake up from this nightmare already. Unfortunately, his genius mind was all too eager to remind him of all the proof there was that this was most definitely _not_ a dream.

A group of three men were busily scrubbing at an empty station to the right, making Kakashi wonder if this was to be where he was going to be left, but instead, he was steered around the group and pushed into yet another room. This room, unlike the others, was brightly lit...with chairs scattered throughout, and shelves nearly bursting with scrolls and books lining the walls. Dozens of men, ranging in age from twenty to thirty, looked up from where they were quietly reading as Kakashi was manhandled toward the center of the room. He saw more than a few of them lean together to share whispered words, and every single one of them was staring at him with those damnable blank gray eyes.

Kakashi was pulled to a stop in the exact center of the room. Before him there was a high-backed stone chair equipped with thick leather straps that he knew would be at least as uncomfortable as they looked. The men from throughout the room started setting down their books and scrolls and moved to crowd around them...effectively blocking any chance of escape Kakashi may have had. He tried his best to keep his growing anxiety from showing as he was gripped by the sashed men and his top was pulled down to pool at his waist, leaving his upper torso bare. Only then was he forced into the chair.

The straps on the chair were quickly fastened around his chest, wrists, ankles and neck...each one tugged tightly, thereby eliminating his hope to wriggle free of any of them. Kakashi sighed dramatically.

"I'm not sure what you've heard about me...but really...I'm not into bondage."

Instead of provoking a response from the sashed men, all of them stepped away without a word and joined the rest of the men forming a circle around him. Kakashi frowned. He hated not knowing what to expect, and this entire mission had been nothing but one unexpected event after another since it started. He closed his eyes and tried his best to push down his fears...he was the Copy Ninja after all...he wasn't supposed to get freaked out like this.

After calming his racing heart down, Kakashi sat in silence for what felt like hours. None of those around him moved a muscle during the entire time...they simply stood in a circle around him and stared expectantly at him. Kakashi tried to ignore them, shifting his concentration to the details of the room instead.

This room was easily three times the size of the Hokage's office...and brighter by far...even without any windows to the outside. The number of chairs scattered throughout the area made it clear there could be many more people in here than were currently standing around him. The walls sloped up toward the domed roof in a gentle arc, but the thick strap around his neck made it impossible to tip his head back enough to see what type of light source was being used to generate the near-daylight in the room. So instead, Kakashi focused on the wall directly in front of him...where he could see the upper portion of a mural standing out in stark contrast to the gray stone. Bold colors marked out the figure of a woman in regal wear, surrounded by five male figures...each reaching toward her with an outstretched hand.

Kakashi frowned when he noticed the colored sashes depicted around each man's waist in the painting matched the colors of the four men he'd been escorted into the room by, and of course, the sash around his own waist as well. This didn't bode well, because now he knew he wasn't being held for information, but rather he was being groomed to fill some role for the delusional woman...Akuen. He would have preferred being tortured...it was something he was familiar with...something he was equipped to survive. This...whatever this was...made him truly nervous.

The woman was obviously fanatical about whatever it was she was trying to achieve, and if there was one thing Kakashi knew...fanatics were seldom predictable...even when presented with the same stimuli multiple times in a row. Kakashi tried to glean some useful information from the mural, but he was too far away from it to see the finer details...like what each man held in their hands. Plus, he couldn't see the lower third of the mural at all, and he had the sneaking suspicion that what was hidden from his view was rather important.

Icy cold fingers slid across his shoulders from behind, causing Kakashi's breath to catch in his throat. "I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting for me...but my Little Bird took a bit more coaxing than expected to get him to sing."

Kakashi tensed at those words...knowing Akuen was referring to Raido in her rant. He kept silent as she continued to push her hands over the planes of his bare chest, leaning her pointed chin against his shoulder and speaking softly into his ear.

"Would you like to know what my Little Bird said to me once he started singing? Hmm?"

Kakashi growled deep in his throat. "Knowing Raven, he told you to go screw yourself."

He gasped when the nails of Akuen's bony fingers sank deep into his flesh. "You should really watch what you say..._Kakashi Hatake_. It would be a shame if you mistakenly said something that might cost the poor little bird more than it already has."

She released her grip and walked around to stand in front of him, and Kakashi was able to fully take in her current appearance. Her hair had slipped partially out of its style...the senbon he remembered holding it in place were no where to be seen...and Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the realization that they were likely used on his fellow jonin. There were smears of blood all up and down the front of her clothing, and he could see the pale skin of her hands was nearly stained pink from what had obviously been Raido's blood.

Kakashi glared fiercely as the woman stepped closer to him. Her thin lips pulled into the farce of a smile and she placed her hands on the top of Kakashi's thighs and leaned in until her nose nearly touched his own.

"You may not realize it yet, my child, but your very nature has made you the perfect choice to complete my set." One hand moved toward his covered left eye, and her bloodied fingers gently traced the scar that ran below the silver patch to just past his cheekbone. "Yes...even with your _imperfection..._you are just what I've been waiting for."

Kakashi swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and he tried not to react when Akuen slid her hand up into his hair and gripped tight. "Of course...I'm going to need to remove your burning desire to return to the Fire Country."

He glared hard at her. "That will never happen."

She released his hair and used the back of her hand to slap Kakashi's cheek. "Do not speak back to me child! And do not _ever_ think that you have _any_ say in what happens from this point on!"

Akuen stepped back from Kakashi, and for a moment he would have sworn he'd seen her eyes turn solid black before settling back to their normal coloring. At that moment, he'd felt the sickening pull he'd experienced twice before, and it left his head feeling less than clear. He found himself gasping for air...his reaction seemed to please Akuen more than a bit. She looked around the room at the others.

"Behold the once great Kakashi Hatake for the last time, my children. After today, this man no longer exists. Come forward and give to him before you taste all that he was."

Kakashi tensed at Akuen's words...visions of his vampiric nightmare leaping to the front of his mind. Akuen pulled a thin, sharp-bladed knife from the folds of her sleeve and swiftly plunged it into Kakashi's left forearm and then his right forearm in quick succession. His blood bubbled up to the surface and began running down his skin, staining it red in its wake. Chuushin stepped forward carrying a silver cup...similar to the one Kakashi had seen out in the previous room...and he held it before Akuen almost reverently.

Kakashi's mind was still hazy from the sudden pain in his arms when he noticed that those in the room had started lining up between Akuen and Chuushin. Each man stepped forward and bared one of their arms so the woman had access to slice their skin open. After that, the man would place his arm over the silver cup and allow a steady flow of blood to drop in. After they had done this, Akuen would motion them toward where Kakashi was strapped down. They would then bend over one of Kakashi's arms and lap up the blood that was still flowing freely from the wounds. Occasionally one of those men would nip at Kakashi's skin with teeth that felt razor sharp, and he had to keep himself from yelling out at the fresh shot of pain.

Whether from blood loss, or sheer fear, Kakashi lost count of the number of people taking his blood into them, and soon he found he was shivering uncontrollably...something he hadn't done since he was six, and pinned under his father's dead body. When, at last, the final man stepped aside, Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief. He should have known it was to soon for such actions.

Akuen stepped closer to him and dipped her fingers into one of his arm wounds. She casually lifted the red-tinged digits to her mouth and proceeded to lick them clean...all the time watching Kakashi's face intently for a reaction that he refused to give. Disappointment flashed in her eyes and a frown reached her lips.

Chuushin stepped forward in that moment and held the silver cup up for Akuen to peer into. The sick smile returned to her lips. "Come forward boys."

Kakashi watched as the other three sashed men joined them, and then she took the cup from Chuushin and handed the man her knife. Chuushin swiftly slid the blade across each man's palm...including his own...and the four of them added their own blood into the mixture in the cup. Akuen placed one bony finger within that cup and slowly stirred the fluid before drawing that finger back up to her lips to lick it clean. She returned her attention to Kakashi and he knew he definitely wasn't going to enjoy whatever came next.

He didn't have to wait long. Akuen nodded once to Chuushin and the man used the knife to slice two new wounds...one in each of Kakashi's shoulders. He grunted against the pain. An almost lustful look filled Akuen's eyes when the four sashed men each bent over one of the wounds and began to lap up Kakashi's spilled blood. The men's fingers clutched onto Kakashi almost possessively as they continued to draw his blood into their mouths. A low growl escaped from Kakashi's lips and he closed his eye against the disturbing sensation that was settling into his body. If he had to put a name to it, it would be something close to euphoria...but that thought in itself was enough to sicken him. He opened his lips slightly in an attempt to draw in more air, hoping to quell the nausea threatening to break through.

Kakashi had just about regained his control when the first drops of warm liquid splashed down onto his parted lips. Those drops quickly became a thin stream, and it was only a moment before he recognized what that fluid was. The metallic taste...the unmistakable smell...it had to be the mixture of blood that had been collected in the silver cup earlier. Kakashi's eye snapped open and he tried in vain to close his lips against the stream of blood. Unfortunately the two men at his shoulders were now forcing his mouth open farther by hooking their fingers between his lips and pulling down on his jaw. Kakashi's eye focused on Akuen as she leaned over him and directed the flow of blood into his mouth. He tried desperately to spit it out, and managed to splatter quite a bit of it on the front of the woman's clothing, but even then there was twice as much that managed to make its way down his throat. Kakashi gagged on the thick fluid.

It was while Kakashi was struggling to keep from swallowing any more of the vile mixture of blood that his sense of smell picked up a familiar sweet scent within the fluid from the cup. As that information crept into his brain, he could already feel the drug pulling his awareness away from him. Kakashi tried to stay awake...tried to force his body to listen to his wishes...but this particular drug was one that Kakashi had never been able to fully counter...a fact that only a handful of people still living knew about. Among those people were his current ANBU squad. If this woman had been able to get Raido to divulge this knowledge, along with who he was, then Kakashi knew he was in deep trouble now.

As though in answer to his line of thought, Akuen leaned in close and stroked her fingers through Kakashi's hair. "It seems my Little Bird wasn't lying when he let me know you were susceptible to this particular form of sedation." She frowned. "I suppose I'll need to make it up to him for my disbelief in his words."

Kakashi blinked repeatedly, trying to keep his vision from blurring around the edges. He forced words through lips that felt strangely disconnected. "Leave Raven out of this..."

Akuen smiled. "On the contrary, my dear child. Raven has earned himself the chance to become one of the family. After all, now that this information has been proven true...just imagine what else he might provide me."

Kakashi's heart raced and he tried to glare at Akuen...although he was blinking so quickly he doubted it had any true effect on her. "I'll kill him first..."

Akuen laughed at him. "You'll _kill_ him? And how exactly do you think you'll manage that, hmm? Even if I let you loose from your bindings, you will be unable to stand...let alone _kill_ anyone."

Kakashi's breath became shallow as he continued to try to ward off the sedative. It was becoming harder and harder to speak. "Why...us...?"

She leaned in close once more and whispered into his ear. "It was never about _both_ of you, child. It's only ever been about _you_. You have been destined to be a part of my family, Wolf...from the moment you set foot in the Land of Snow a dozen years ago. You felt Him then...I know you did...just as I know you felt Him the _last_ time you were here two years ago. And that you have felt Him ever since you stepped foot on our lands once more."

Kakashi tried to deny what she was saying...but his words wouldn't come any longer. Akuen took his face in both of her hands and grinned, while his eye finally slid shut from the sedative. "And now, my child..._now_ He has decided it is time for you to stay with us..._forever!_"


	5. Skin Deep

Chapter 5

Skin Deep

Raido first realized he was still alive when he felt the shock of cold metal pressing against the expanse of his bare back and legs. He tried to force his eyes wide, but they refused to do more than open a fraction of an inch...likely the after effect of the brutal interrogation he'd gone through with the old woman. Never in his wildest imagination had Raido thought that wizened crone would have the strength, let alone the skill, to apply some of the methods she had used during their time together.

A shiver wracked Raido's body at the memory of her methods, and he found his mind wondering whether she was related to Genma, considering her vast knowledge on how to apply a senbon to achieve the best results. Thoughts of the senbon chewing jonin brought Raido's mind back to other friends, including Kakashi...which in turn brought back the memories of how much vital information he had divulged about the Copy-ninja during his torture at the hands of Akuen.

He'd never...in all his many years with ANBU...broken so completely during an interrogation, and that fact alone made him worry about what Kakashi was likely to go through. He knew he'd never forgive himself if any of the information she'd pried from him was used against Konoha...or Kakashi. Raido closed his eyes in shame. It would have been better all around if he'd died with his fellow ANBU at the start of this nightmare...then, at least, he wouldn't have been able to betray Kakashi so completely.

Raido shifted in his bindings, trying to find a comfortable position. He almost wished he was back in that damnable cell in the East Wing. He frowned at the memory of his time in that room...particularly last night. It turned out the entire experience – including the molten lava under his feet – had been nothing more than an illusion. It had all taken place in that same room in the East Wing where they'd first placed him. He still couldn't believe he'd fallen prey to such a thing. Hell, he'd always been considered someone with an above average resistance to genjutsu, so it was rather embarrassing that he'd been snared so easily. Raido chuckled at his vanity. Of course, at this rate no one he knew would ever find out about it anyway.

"And what would make my Little Bird so happy, hmm? Have you realized that I've decided to give you the chance to become one of the family?"

Raido's breath caught in his chest. He hadn't even heard Akuen approach him. Were his skills truly so far gone? He pushed that thought aside. He couldn't allow defeat to settle in now...not while there was still breath in his body. He forced his eyes open and forced words through lips still cracked from the previous night.

"I've already got a family."

Akuen cackled in his ear. "We both know that's not true, Little Bird. You haven't had a proper family since long before you joined up with Kakashi and the ANBU." Her hand traced Raido's scarred cheek. "Or don't you remember sharing that bit of information with me, hmm?"

A cold sweat broke out across Raido's forehead at memories of the intense interrogation. He swallowed back the fear those thoughts brought forward. "Blood doesn't make a family."

Akuen moved until her eyes met Raido's, and the look in their depths sent a chill through his veins. "Oh, but you are wrong, Little Bird. I assure you that blood is the cornerstone of any strong family."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Kakashi and I do not share blood with you. We will never be your family."

Akuen smiled at him in a way that made it clear she thought he'd said something she found amusing. "The sharing of blood is easily remedied...just ask Kakashi."

Raido glared at her and pulled against his bindings. "What have done to him?"

"Don't worry yourself with the child, Little Bird. After all, the information you provided allowed him to take his first step toward his new life. And because you've proven to be so useful to me, I've decided to make amends for not believing you earlier."

Raido's heart clenched. So Kakashi suffered because of his weakness after all. He tried to pull in his growing dismay. "If you truly want to make amends...set us free."

Akuen laughed once more. "Why...that is precisely my intention, Little Bird...I will set you free of all your ties prior to stepping into our midst."

Raido growled. "And what if I don't wish to be free of those ties?"

Akuen tipped her head to the side and smiled wide enough for her pointed teeth to show between her thin lips. "You lost your right to choose such things the moment you crossed into our lands."

He shook his head at her words. "These aren't your lands, lady. They fall under the rule of Princess Koyuki and the Land of Snow."

Akuen laughed outright at him once more. "Is that truly what you believe? That girl barely travels beyond the border of her own village. She has no idea what ruling truly entails. Besides..._He_ will wipe away all thoughts of that girl's power once _He_ returns to us."

Raido frowned. "He? Who the hell are you talking about?"

She patted the top of Raido's head as though he were a small child. "That's right, Little Bird. I forgot that you have not been chosen like the child was. You have had no contact with _Him_ yet. But don't worry...soon you'll be given the chance to prove to us whether or not you have what it takes to become one with the family."

A sick feeling started to settle in Raido's gut. He knew the 'child' Akuen kept referring to had to be Kakashi...but what the hell was this about the kid being chosen? Chosen for what? And if this crazy woman thought Kakashi was chosen, that added another layer of fanaticism to this situation that would make a bad situation even worse. He tensed when Akuen's touch shifted to his bare left arm. She slowly traced his ANBU tattoo with one bony finger while continuing to speak to him.

"Of course, _this_ will need to go. He won't appreciate you having anyone's mark but his own, after all."

Raido tried to pull away from that ice-cold digit. "I'd rather die!"

She chuckled. "It may still come to that, Little Bird." Akuen looked to her left. "Bring something to remove this with."

Raido's eyes opened wide when the blue-sashed man from before stepped into his line of sight holding a hand-sized curved blade. The light reflected off the thin edge making it clear to him that it had been honed to razor-sharpness. The man smirked as he handed the weapon to Akuen.

"This should work the best, my Lady. We use it for skinning the beasts before butchering."

Akuen licked her lips as she held the blade up to inspect it closer. "Oh yes, Kobushi, this will do very well."

She placed the edge of the thin metal blade against Raido's arm directly above his tattoo and pushed ever so slightly on the blade. It bit into Raido's skin sending a shot of intense pain through his body. He struggled to keep from making a sound, but he couldn't stop the agonizing screams from escaping when she tipped the blade backward slightly to lift his skin and then proceeded to drag the knife down his arm to slice the marked skin away from his body. He felt his blood cascade down his arm to puddle at where his elbow met the cool metal table he was tied to.

Raido's vision swam and he could barely see the flap of skin painted with the ANBU symbol as she waved it in front of his face. "Can you see now, Little Bird? Your previous ties were never more than skin deep. What we will give you will be so much deeper than that."

He watched through hazed vision as she tossed the flap of skin to the ground. Kobushi took the blade from Akuen and stared down at Raido with a frown on his face. "The scar on his face will make it impossible to use our usual points of entry, Akuen. How would you like us to proceed?"

Raido couldn't help but flinch when Akuen's bony fingers ghosted over his scarred left cheek...much as she'd done during his interrogation. This time, those fingers didn't dig holes into the thick skin. Instead she gently stroked the damaged area with a far off look in her eyes.

"You will not need to perform the Seven Steps on this one. He has proven his worth during my visit with him last night. No...move straight to the Soul Binding. When you finish with that, come find me. I'd like to oversee the blood-letting personally."

Kobushi bowed his head and waited until she walked away before moving closer to Raido's head. "Your time with Akuen must have been quite revealing for her to skip over the Rite of the Seven Steps. Although you might regret that decision soon enough as the Soul Binding isn't usually done while the candidate is still conscious."

With that, Kobushi stepped away...likely to gather what he needed for the Soul Binding. Raido tried to swallow down the fear threatening to crush him and closed his eyes. He'd never felt so helpless in all his years and he could only hope Kakashi wasn't facing similar problems and could find some way to rescue them both.

-- --

* * *

When Kakashi crawled back to consciousness, the first thought that had come to his mind was to wonder just what the hell had curled up and died in his mouth. The residual taste was vile, and the overpowering smell of blood and vomit was enough to make him realize his body must have rebelled against the mixture forced down his throat after all. A faint smiled crossed his lips at the thought that he might just have managed to hurl his stomach contents at one of his captors in his stupor. He took a moment to notice he was no longer sitting in the chair he'd fallen unconscious in...rather, he was lying on a soft mattress once more, and that was when he knew he'd been returned to his glass-walled cell.

Kakashi cracked his eye open and was pleased to be greeted with a darkened room. He doubted his still shaky senses would have been able to deal with harsh lights on top of everything else he'd been subjected to recently. He felt a wave of something more than nausea settle over him, and he moved to sit up, hoping the uncomfortable feeling would go away. The moment he pushed against the mattress, however, he felt a sharp sting along his forearms and shoulders.

He glanced down at his arm and saw the telltale stain of red through the sleeves of his shirt. Obviously the fools hadn't bothered to heal, or even bandage, his injuries before redressing him and bringing him back here. Kakashi sighed and gingerly moved to unfasten the silver sash around his waist. After far longer than it should have taken, he managed to remove the long piece of cloth and moved on to take his shirt off.

The material stuck to the wounds on his shoulders, but Kakashi pulled the shirt free with a quick tug and a hiss. The blood from those two wounds started to flow once more, but Kakashi ignored it as he continued to pull himself free of the shirt. He looked around the room to see if there was anything more than he'd noticed during his previous stay here, and he was relieved to see a small table was added that held a basin of water and a small washcloth. He moved slowly to where the items were set up and was less than happy at just how weak he was at the moment...an obvious side effect to having so much of his blood taken from him.

Kakashi suppressed a shiver as memories of the feeding came to the forefront of his mind. He'd never experienced anything like it in his entire lifetime. But what disturbed him the most was that moment when the four sashed men were all sucking against his wounds at the same time...and he felt himself giving in to the euphoria. It was only for a split second...but still, it worried him greatly.

He dipped his hand into the bowl with a sigh and found the water was just this side of hot. Whoever brought it must have only just left. The thought that someone had been here while he was so vulnerable didn't sit well with him, but then again, everything about this mission disturbed him. He frowned and placed the dry cloth into the water to soak it thoroughly. He needed desperately to find something..._anything_...that he could have control over and it seemed tending to his wounds would have to do. Maybe then he might clear his mind enough to find something to build on and discover a way out of this mess.

Kakashi methodically started cleaning the caked blood from his left arm and growled when he noticed various tooth marks surrounding the deep puncture wound. He'd make each and every one of these sick bastards pay for what they'd done to him if it was the last thing he did. The growl turned to a hiss of pain when he knocked loose the thick scab that had started to form over the wound. He watched the deep red blood bubble up until it started to trickle down his arm. Kakashi stared at it as though he'd never seen such a thing before...which, of course, was ridiculous. He'd had many injuries over the course of his shinobi career...more than a few were much worse than the four he had now. But _these_ wounds...these wounds were somehow more dangerous than his worst gash. These weren't earned from battle, or even through torture. These wounds were deliberately created for only one purpose...to break him.

"That's not exactly true."

Kakashi tensed and spun toward where a distinctly male voice was heard...but no one was there. He narrowed his gaze and glanced around the room trying to find some sign of where the voice had come from. He was just about to accept that perhaps he'd imagined the voice when he felt a firm grip on his shoulders from behind. Unlike the bony fingers of Akuen, this grip made it obvious it was a strong man's hands. Kakashi briefly wondered which one of the sashed fools was standing behind him this time.

"Ah, my boy, some things I choose to do myself. Besides, the 'sashed fools' are occupied bringing another into the fold."

Kakashi tried not to react to the words that seemingly responded to his thoughts. That was when he figured out just what the uncomfortable feeling he was experiencing was from. He was finally meeting the mastermind behind all this insanity. He closed his eye and sighed. "What do you want?"

"Come now, I know you have felt my presence before. You should already know what I want."

Kakashi felt the hands shift from his shoulders, and before he knew what was happening he felt those hands grip his left arm and lift it up. Kakashi's eye snapped back open when he felt a warm tongue glide against his skin and the man began sucking on the wound. All he could see was the top of the man's head...a thick mane of raven black hair obscuring any true view of his features. Kakashi yanked his arm free and staggered back, his eye wide as he placed his right hand over the wound.

"Dammit! What the hell are you doing?"

The man slowly stood up, but his head was still lowered so that the wave of hair cast his features in darkness. Quiet laughter came from that darkness.

"I was right about you, my boy. You hold all the potential I've longed for since that first time I sensed you more than a decade ago. You have no idea how glad I am you've returned to me."

He growled at the man. "I didn't return to you...I was forced here."

The man chuckled and waved off what Kakashi said. "The means of your arrival doesn't concern me...what matters is that you are here now so that I can finish what I started."

Kakashi suddenly felt quite dizzy and found it difficult to focus, but he was still able to notice a few key points about the mysterious visitor. The man was taller than Kakashi...nearly as tall and broad as the Sannin, Jiraiya. The cut of his long dark clothing made it clear this man was well-muscled and likely could wipe the floor with Kakashi in his current weakened state. He didn't appear to carry a single weapon, and yet he gave off an aura of absolute strength and power.

Kakashi tried to force his eyes to focus on the shadows of the man's face. "Who are you?"

"I am your past and your future." The man moved to stand directly in front of Kakashi and even at the close distance, he was unable to make out a single feature. "But you aren't quite ready yet, are you?"

Kakashi growled while his vision became even fuzzier and the wound under his hand throbbed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Again, the laughter reached Kakashi's ears. "It means Akuen has been negligent in her duties to me and I will needed to take matters into my own hands."

The throbbing in Kakashi's arm became worse, and he found his breathing was becoming more labored with each passing moment. He glanced down at his forearm and saw a series of deep red lines radiating out from the initial puncture wound. It was obvious to him now that when this man sucked on his arm he'd used it as an opportunity to introduce something more to his system. Still, he was aware enough that when he saw the man reaching out toward him once more, Kakashi knocked those hands away and followed up with a sweeping kick in the hopes of catching the man off guard. But his feet found nothing but air, and his momentum caused him to overbalance and fall to the ground. He frowned. He hadn't made such a rookie mistake since he was seven...but he didn't allow it to keep him from getting into a crouched position so he could react to whatever came next.

He didn't have to wait long. Kakashi felt a spike in the unsettling feeling in his gut and managed to duck his head just as the mysterious man took a swipe at him. He rolled out of the way and didn't have time to settle into another stance before that feeling surged once more signaling another attack was already heading toward him.

"Dammit!"

Kakashi rolled again and proceeded to dodge a foot this time. He continued to roll and dodge for countless minutes...each near hit sending a burst of adrenaline into his body, and seemingly sending the stranger into overdrive. As the game of cat and mouse continued, Kakashi found his response time slowing, and he wished he could expose his sharingan to even the field a bit. Of course, he knew the moment he did that, the chakra drain would steal away the last of his stamina and the fight would be over.

A well placed kick from the man connected with Kakashi's stomach and sent him flying into the glass wall with enough force that he heard the distinct crack of ribs. He slid to the fur-covered floor and coughed up a bit of blood before trying to stand once more. A wave of intense dizziness knocked him back to the ground, and Kakashi found he was unable to get his muscles to listen anymore.

"That was rather impressive. You are the first to ever manage to fight back after I've introduced the catalyst. Usually they collapse within seconds after the onset of the toxin."

Kakashi gasped for air as he struggled to make his head turn toward that voice. What he saw made him wish he hadn't looked at all. The man was towering over him, a light sheen of sweat held the black hair away from his face and allowed Kakashi to see straight into eyes that were blood red. This wasn't like the red of his sharingan...no...the entire eye was a dark red that might have be mistaken for black if it wasn't for the slightly darker pupil sitting in their center. Those eyes fixed on Kakashi and made him feel as though his every secret was laid bare for this man to stroll through at his leisure.

The man's lips...only slightly darker than his pale skin...pulled into a smile. "You are quite perceptive, Kakashi. Again...it is just one more reason I've been waiting for your return."

Kakashi glared up at the man and struggled to close his mind off as he'd learned from training with the Yamanaka clan. "Get out of my head and stop the riddles, already! Who the hell are you?"

That seemed to surprise the man and he crouched in front of Kakashi with a frown on his lips. "You are far more stubborn than I gave you credit for, Kakashi. But you amuse me, so I'll answer your question."

The man settled onto the floor until his knees pressed up against Kakashi's. He bowed his head slightly in the mockery of a greeting. "You may call me Omoikiru. And I will be your guide to your new life."

Kakashi snorted at his words. "And what if I prefer the life I already have?"

Omoikiru reached one hand out and cupped Kakashi's cheek, making sure their gazes met. "Then this will be far more painful than it needs to be. But know this...it _will_ happen...one way or another. And it will start by severing your ties with your past."

Kakashi wanted to argue that fact, but at that very moment he felt an intense wave of dizziness wash over him and he collapsed toward Omoikiru's waiting form. The man chuckled as he scooped Kakashi into his arms and lifted him into the air before settling him back onto the bed. "We'll talk more once you've accepted your fate. Until then, try not to die."

Kakashi watched as Omoikiru slowly faded from his sight...seeming to melt into a cloud of gray smoke. He wondered what the man had been talking about...when he felt a burning heat engulf his left forearm. He managed to twist his head until it came into sight, and his eye went wide at what he saw. He watched the thick red lines from where Omoikiru's toxin was introduced crawl up past his elbow and head straight toward where his ANBU tattoo was situated. When the toxic lines met up with the chakra-infused tattoo, Kakashi's back arched off the mattress and he screamed out in pain. Kakashi lost consciousness long before the invading toxin finished its task.


	6. Promises Made and Fate Revealed

Chapter 6

Promises Made and Fate Revealed

Jiraiya leaned across the current Hokage's desk, resting on his fists until he was nearly nose to nose with the blond-haired woman. The vein on the side of his head was throbbing as he felt his anger building to dangerous levels.

"You did _what!?!_ Are you out of your freaking mind, Tsunade?"

"Watch yourself, Old Man." Tsunade's words were hissed through her teeth, and it was quite clear she was not pleased with his sudden outburst.

The woman who had been the object of Jiraiya's obsessive thoughts for the better part of the last half a century was glaring at him over her folded hands. The late afternoon sun reflected in her perfectly manicured nails. Her ample chest rose and fell in rapid succession as she tried to reign in her own obvious anger. A bead of glistening sweat found its own path down the long stretch of her pale neck, heading toward the valley between those perfectly formed mountains of flesh...

Jiraiya shook his head to push back thoughts that would likely lead to another round of late night writing, and yet another best selling edition of his Icha Icha series. His focus needed to be on what Tsunade had just informed him...that was what mattered now!

Jiraiya let out a huge sigh and pushed himself back to standing. He crossed his arms in front of him and glared down at the woman. "Fine. Then explain yourself."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "I don't have to explain myself to the likes of you, Jiraiya. I'm the _Hokage_, dammit!"

He closed his eyes and shook his head in disappointment. "Is that really how you want to play this, Tsunade?"

He heard the air pushed through Tsunade's teeth and he opened his eyes just in time to see her wipe what looked like a tear from her eye before she spoke in a whisper. "You know it's not, Jiraiya."

He sighed once more and sat on the edge of the desk...a bit less threateningly than his previous approach. "Tsunade, I'm sorry I yelled...but you know I have a soft spot where that kid is concerned."

She looked up at him with a sad smile on her lips. "I know, Jiraiya. I feel the same way about the brat. But I didn't have a choice."

He frowned at her and tried to keep the brunt of his growing anger out of his voice. "That's a load of crap and you know it. What in the world could possibly make you send Kakashi back to that place? Didn't you bother reading _any_ of his mission reports about the last two times he went there?"

"None of his suspicions were ever confirmed, Jiraiya. You _know_ that!" She turned her head away. "And he was the only one available who actually knows the area in Snow Country that needed to be checked out."

Jiraiya frowned at the flawless logic she had used. The problem, of course, was that Kakashi and his ANBU squad were due back a week ago...and no one in Snow Country, or here in Konoha, had seen or heard from them yet. And worse than that...the rogue band of shinobi that were the reason behind the mission in the first place were no less active now than they had been this time last month.

"Dammit, Tsunade...why couldn't you have waited until I got back?"

She scowled at him. "News flash, Old Man...the world doesn't wait for you to show up before it revolves! Besides, I couldn't ignore a direct request from one of our allies...and if you think I _would,_ based on some vague descriptions from Kakashi about an odd feeling he had when he was _seventeen_, then you are as dumb as Orochimaru always said you were."

He glared at her. "That's a low blow, Tsunade."

"Maybe so, Jiraiya, but I stand behind the mission assignment."

Jiraiya ran his hands through his hair. "Great. I'll make sure to tell that to Team Seven at Kakashi's funeral."

Tsunade growled at him. "That's enough! It's bad enough I have to listen to that kind of garbage from the Council...do I really have to take it from you too?"

"Sorry Tsunade, but I can't forget the promise we both made to Sakumo when his wife died." Jiraiya pushed himself off the desk and moved toward the door.

"Where the hell do you think you're going, Old Man?"

He paused with his hand on the knob and glanced back over his shoulder to see her frowning at him. "Home...to pack my winter clothes."

"What about Naruto? You can't tell me you've finished training the kid yet."

Jiraiya smiled. "Naruto thinks I'm doing 'research' right now, and he's in the middle of a lesson that will keep him busy for at least another six weeks. I don't intend to take more than two and half to do what I need to do." The smile faded slightly. "Besides...that kid'll be useless if he loses someone like Kakashi. As much as both of them want to deny it, they need each other."

Tsunade's frown deepened, but she made no move to argue with him. Jiraiya opened the door and stepped into the hall just as Tsunade's softly spoken words reached his ears. "Bring the brat home safely, Old Man."

Jiraiya sighed and hoped her gentle words wouldn't prove an impossibility.

-- --

* * *

Raido hadn't been sure exactly what to expect from Soul Binding, but he certainly didn't imagine having thin cords of sharp black chakra wire wrapped painfully tight around various parts of his anatomy. He was starting to appreciate that this process would have been better tolerated if he had been unconscious...after all, it hurt...a lot. It was especially painful on the area of his left arm where the sadistic bastards scraped his ANBU tattoo off of him the previous day. Still, he couldn't feel this process had done anything more than make him exceptionally uncomfortable. His soul...or what he had of one, anyhow...was still his.

Of course they may not have meant for him to take the title of his ordeal literally...and the way the wire encased his feet, perhaps they had been referring to _that_ sole instead. Raido chuckled. The way he was analyzing this, he could pass for a Nara...or maybe even a Hatake.

That thought brought a frown to his lips. He couldn't help wondering how Kakashi was doing. If his Squad Captain was even still alive. If, perhaps, he was being held on another one of these cold steel tables as well. He could just imagine the inappropriate comments the Copy-nin would make about some of the more _tender_ areas being wrapped in wire. After all, if there was one constant with Kakashi Hatake, it had to be his ability to come up with just the right things to say that would piss off his captors.

Raido could still remember when he had first met Kakashi. He'd been sitting in Gaman-sensei's class on the first day of his final year at the Academy...in the back row with his best friends. They were talking about their plans to impress the gathering of future kunoichi that were clustered together in the front row. The door to the classroom opened and Sensei walked in with a small silver-haired boy following close to his heels. The boy was dressed in baggy black shorts with a crossed holster-belt over his dark t-shirt. A mask covered the lower half of the kid's face and his dark gray eyes seemed to take in everything in the room in a single glance.

The entire group of girls cooed over the young boy, making it quite clear that the older boys would have their work cut out for them to regain any of their attention today.

His friend Misshuu chuckled and elbowed Raido to get his attention. "Must be bring your brat to work day."

All the others joined in the laughter, but something in the kid's eyes made it clear to Raido that there was definitely more to him than the others thought. That suspicion was confirmed when Gaman-sensei cleared his throat.

"Okay class, I want you all to meet our newest student." The teacher placed a palm to the back of the young boy and gently pushed him forward a step or two.

One of the girls in the front row...Nodoka...held up her hand to get the teacher's attention before asking the question on all their minds. "Gaman-sensei, isn't he a bit young to be in our class? I mean, really, what is he...three?"

Raido noticed the kid's shoulders tense as he leveled a glare at the brown-haired girl. Gaman-sensei placed one hand on top of the boy's unruly silver mop of hair and grinned at Nodoka.

"Actually, he's four."

A chorus of disbelief echoed through the room until Gaman-sensei had to clap his hands together several times to regain their attention. "As I was saying, I expect each and every one of you to welcome this bright star of Konoha with an open mind!"

Raido's friend, Aseru, stood up and pointed toward the much younger kid. "So does he have a name? Or do we have to call him 'Bright Star' for the rest of the year?"

Gaman-sensei blushed slightly and rubbed at the back of his head. "Ah, yes...of course. I knew I forgot something! Class...this is Kakashi Hatake."

Dead silence settled over the room for a handful of breaths before everyone started talking at once. The noise got so loud that even Sensei covered his ears. "Enough! Settle down now!"

Gaman-sensei rarely raised his voice in the classroom, so when he did, everyone listened at once. Part of it was that they respected him that much, but mostly it was because when Gaman-sensei raised his voice, the windows and walls in the classroom would rattle from his volume.

"I know you all have questions for your newest classmate. And I'm certain Kakashi will be glad to answer a few of them right now."

Raido smirked when he saw Kakashi's eyes roll at that comment. Kyoushi Uchiha was the first one on his feet, and Raido noticed the dark-haired boy's hands were clenched into tight fists.

"Do you think that just because you're a _Hatake_ that you should get special treatment!?!"

Raido stared up at his best friend as though he'd never seen him before. Normally Kyoushi was one of the most level-headed in his group of friends. This...whatever this was...made him wonder just what the hell was going on. He shifted his attention back toward where Kakashi stood...curious about what the boy's reaction would be.

Kakashi tipped his head slightly to one side and sighed. "Unlike _some_ clans, we don't expect _anything_ based on anything but our abilities."

Kyoushi growled...actually _growled._ "What are you implying?"

Kakashi shrugged. "I simply stated a fact."

Kyoushi's face turned bright red, and if two of his other friends hadn't held the Uchiha back, Raido figured he'd have jumped Kakashi right then and there. Raido swallowed back his growing uneasiness and was glad when another of the kunoichi-in-training changed the subject.

"Isn't your mother afraid you'll get hurt?"

A dark shadow seemed to cross the young boy's face at that question. "My mother is dead."

The words were said so quietly and unemotionally that they brought a frown to Raido's face. But all they did for the girl who asked the question was pique her curiosity farther. "Well then, what about your father?"

Kakashi looked confused. "What about him?"

She crossed her arms and shook her head at the boy. "There's no way he'd be okay with you being in this class!"

"Why not?"

"You're too little! You're going to get hurt! What kind of father lets his kid do something like this?"

Kakashi crossed his own arms in a copy of the girl's stance. "_My_ dad does. And he knows I'm not gonna get hurt cause he trained me up to now."

That made some of the other kids chuckle while Kyoushi growled once more. The girl just snorted at Kakashi. "What makes _your_ father training you any different than any of the training we all got from _our_ fathers, hmm? It's not like he's one of the Sannin or something, right?"

Kakashi shrugged once more. "No, he isn't."

The girl just refused to let it drop. "So then what makes his opinion count, hmm?"

Kakashi seemed to stand up a bit straighter before he answered in a voice that was full of pride. "He's the White Fang of Konoha."

Again the room fell silent and Gaman-sensei took the opportunity to usher Kakashi into a free seat at the front of the classroom. Once the shock of Kakashi's comment wore off, the class was already deep into that day's topic of advanced chakra control. And by the time the first break came, Kakashi was already able to show the others more than a few reasons why he was placed in their class. Hell, his understanding of chakra pathways was probably better than Gaman-sensei's was.

Raido couldn't help noticing how Kyoushi continued to glare at the boy throughout the day though, and it was that reaction alone that kept him from approaching the youngest member of their class on that first day.

Looking back at it now, he wished he'd had the courage to ignore the Uchiha's influence and befriended the prodigy a bit sooner. He probably would have learned a lot more from Kakashi than he ever did from the overly stubborn Kyoushi.

"I'm sure you could have, Little Bird." Raido tensed as he felt Akuen's thin bony fingers run through his hair. "After all, the son of the White Fang surely knows things even the Uchiha Clan wouldn't know."

Raido felt dread sink into his mind. He'd done it again. He'd given the bitch more information about Kakashi without ever realizing it. He heard a contented hum from next to his ear and he shifted his eyes in that direction. Akuen's smile sickened him more.

"I knew you'd be worth the time and energy of the Soul Binding, Little Bird. Your thoughts alone will provide me with more entertainment than I've had in decades." Her lips spread to expose those pointed teeth. "And, of course, the more I can learn about the child, the better your position will be in our fold."

Raido frowned. "Get out of my head, you bitch!"

She laughed at him. "Oh my...I'm not in your head, Little Bird. This goes so much farther than that. But we'll have time to discuss this process later." She stood up and pulled her gloves back onto her hands. "I'll be back later to explain what you can expect now that I've found you worthy. Meanwhile...rest. We have much to talk about before the next stage begins."

Raido watched Akuen walk away and tried his hardest to keep his mind away from thoughts of Kakashi, but it was growing increasingly difficult – especially when he knew that Akuen's ultimate goal was to force Kakashi into her sick little family. He closed his eyes against his growing fear for his friend and knew he'd be powerless against whatever came next.

-- --

* * *

Omoikiru watched his daughter tease her latest project and he chuckled at how far she'd come in her lifetime. There had been a time when she would have refused to use such measures to gain the needed information. Still, it wasn't enough to erase his displeasure with her over failing to prepare Kakashi properly before she attempted the Initiation ritual.

Because of her negligence, the boy was able to resist what should have sealed him completely to the family. Now Omoikiru would need to waste precious time removing that resistance before he could move on to the training the boy would require for the role fate had prepared for him.

He watched from the shadows until Akuen was finished with her taunting and left the room. Omoikiru glanced over at where the dark-haired shinobi shivered on his table and considered introducing himself. But he really couldn't afford the extra time right now...not if he was to actually get Kakashi up to speed before he'd need to be presented to the Conclave. Which, of course, brought him back to his displeasure with Akuen's slipshod preparations.

Omoikiru faded from the room and reappeared directly in front of where his daughter was walking through the hallway. Akuen stopped short and blinked in obvious surprise at his appearance before lowering her head in a respectful bow and awaiting his words.

"You disappointed me, Akuen. You don't normally make such amateur mistakes."

He noticed her tense at his words and at that moment he knew she was fully aware of her error already. "Forgive me, Father. It wasn't until I worked with the Raven that I saw the potential problem the emblems posed."

Omoikiru frowned at her blatant lie and stepped closer. He used the tips of his fingers to guide her face up until their eyes met. "You should have been able to sense its purpose easily enough Akuen. What was it about the child that kept such basic knowledge from your view?"

He watched something close to jealousy slide across Akuen's gray eyes and he knew what was at the core of her actions. She had _wanted_ the ceremony to fail. That infuriated him more than if she'd truly missed such a basic connection. Omoikiru's fingers left her chin, and he used that hand to backhand her with enough force that she sailed across the hallway until she met up with the wall. He watched her slide down to the floor and stay in a seated position instead of trying to regain her feet.

"_You devious child!_" His words hissed through the silent hallway as he moved closer to where his daughter cowered on the floor. "You have no say in who I choose to serve my purposes! Did you hope that I would reject the child if he wasn't prepared properly?"

She tipped her head up to meet his gaze and watched as she wiped at the stream of blood flowing from the corner of her mouth. There was a hardness in her eyes that answered his question more than words ever would have.

He shook his head at her stubbornness. "You are removed from his care, Akuen. And if you are found anywhere _near_ the child, I will make sure to remind you of your proper place. Am I _clear_ enough for you?"

After a moment more of defiance, Akuen bowed her head. "Yes, Father...you are very clear."

He waited for her to pull herself back up to standing before speaking to her again. "Why must you always make things so difficult, Akuen? Is it not enough that you are flesh of my flesh? Why must you envy this child?"

She slowly lifted her head until they were face to face once more. She stuck her bottom lip out just enough to remind him of the petulant child she'd been so long ago. "Because I know that this child will be allowed to learn _all_ of your secrets, where I never can."

Omoikiru sighed and placed his hands on either side of Akuen's face, tipping her head back until their eyes met. "You cannot hold your own shortcomings against this child, Akuen. If you had been meant to become my heir, it would have been foretold...like it was for this child."

She closed her eyes and frowned. Omoikiru let go of her and ran one hand through his hair. "Don't disappoint me again, Akuen...or I may forget you are my daughter."

He let the threat hang in the air between them before fading away once more. He needed to rest until it was time to face the boy once more. After all, there was much to do to make up for the mistakes Akuen had already made with his preparation. And he only had a month before the others would arrive. He found his way back to his chambers and settled in for a much needed rest.


	7. The Start of Plans

Chapter 7

The Start of Plans

Kakashi wasn't one hundred percent sure of how many days had passed since his capture, but he did know that he had woken up inside this cell ten times since their arrival. Each time found him reacting from one treatment or another, and he found it harder and harder to remember just why he was fighting it all in the first place.

He let loose a large sigh and rolled onto his side to stare out the glass wall. It would be so much easier to just give in and accept that no one was coming to rescue him...and that there was no way in hell for him to escape on his own. Kakashi hadn't felt this powerless since he'd been held captive when he was thirteen. He frowned at the memory of that dark and cold dungeon. He'd been held there by Iwa shinobi for countless weeks, and undergone some of the worse torture he'd ever experienced...and according to Ibiki Morino of the Torture and Interrogation Unit in Konoha...it was the worst he'd ever heard of as well. Still, through it all he'd maintained his fierce loyalty to Konoha, and thwarted their repeated attempts to break him.

Kakashi chuckled darkly at the memory, recalling how he'd pulled himself mentally into a place where they could have cut him into pieces and he'd still have rebelled against them. He referred to those times as his 'Wolf years' and had sworn to himself that he'd never fall into that trap again. Because, although his Wolf persona allowed him to survive such trying times, it fractured his mind in such a way that he risked never becoming whole again with each subsequent appearance of Wolf.

Still, he had to admit it was tempting to let that feral side of himself out in this situation. He wondered how Omoikiru would react to having to deal with the caustic mind of Wolf. He could feel the kernel of that persona that still resided in his mind, even now, surge to the front of his consciousness as though it were asking for permission to take over once more. Surely the Hokage would forgive him for going against her explicit orders to keep the personality subdued if it meant escaping this place, right? After all, if he could feel that presence in his mind now, didn't that mean the additional seals within his head that Tsunade had placed herself had already been weakened or breeched altogether?

Besides, the worst of the Wolf incarnations wasn't even in there anymore. So it wasn't likely that the persona would try to become permanent...like it had the last time. Kakashi would have continued this line of thought, but a subtle change in the air and the distinct scent of evil that always proceeded the entrance of his host made it clear he was about to have a visitor.

Kakashi purposely filled his mind with scenes from his favorite chapter of Icha Icha Violence and continued to stare toward the glass wall, deliberately ignoring the man who was, even now, walking toward him from behind. A low chuckle made it quite clear Omoikiru was eavesdropping on his mind once more.

"I never would have expected such thoughts from one such as you, Kakashi. And such _detailed_ thoughts at that."

Kakashi ignored the man, choosing to pull his covers up closer to his ear while continuing to fill his mind with scene after scene of the adult novel. Some scenes...for example, the one where the hero ducked into the nearest door to avoid detection by the villain only to find himself at the mercy of an undersexed harem...he played over and over within his mind, thankful for his keen ability of remember every detail of the novels.

Eventually Omoikiru must have tired of staring at Kakashi's back, because the man tore the fur covers off of the bed altogether and gripped Kakashi by the ankle before tossing him across the room. Of course, Kakashi had been expecting such a move, and easily twisted his body to land in a way that limited his damage. Before he had a chance to get up from his sprawled position, Omoikiru was standing next to him and moving to step on Kakashi's back. But he'd seen it coming, so he rolled away from the quick-moving foot and scampered back in the direction of the glass wall...all the while continuing to think about Jiraiya's masterpiece.

This continued for the next several minutes, until Kakashi felt he had finally worked the man into a sufficient amount of rage that he figured the next toss would be at the velocity he was trying for. He allowed himself to get snagged by the collar of his shirt and only resisted enough to make his captor mad enough to toss him once more. Kakashi smile to himself and made sure to blank his thoughts, even as he turned in midair so that his back was what slammed up against the unforgiving stone of the far wall.

A resounding crack was heard throughout the room, and Kakashi allowed a sharp cry of pain to issue from his mouth as his head snapped back and he felt the blood begin to flow from the wound the wall opened in his hairline. But even as Omoikiru's eyes widened at the sight and sound, Kakashi was fighting down the feeling of victory when he felt the first anemic tendrils of his chakra begin to build within his core. He instantly went about suppressing that small amount while consciously forcing his mind to show his fury at the injury he'd just received.

Kakashi felt Omoikiru's hands pull him forward from his slumped position against the wall until the man had a clear view of the open gash that allowed his blood to seep into his hair. A small part of Kakashi's mind couldn't understand why this blood would cause such a reaction when this man and his minions seemed to revel in shedding his blood any other time they were together.

"Ah, Kakashi..._this_ wound was caused by my own inattention. This is blood that was not yet meant to be shed."

Kakashi groaned when Omoikiru's fingers deftly felt along the edges of the injury and he felt the man's hot breath on his ear when he spoke again. "You are fortunate, Kakashi. The wound is not as deep as it could have been. It is a good thing you have been learning to lessen the damage from my throws." Omoikiru sighed as he pulled out a small cloth and pressed it firmly against the wound. "Although this could have been avoided if you would just accept you fate, child."

Kakashi growled at the man. "I have accepted my fate...it's to kill you all and escape from this hell-hole with my comrade."

The older man's body shook with laughter as he pushed Kakashi back gently until he was leaning against the wall once more. "You still are worried for your comrade? That is simply precious...but utterly useless."

Now Kakashi leveled a hard glare at the man. "Why would you say it's useless? Have you killed him?"

A smile graced the lips of Omoikiru and Kakashi felt a wave of pleasure cast toward him. "Hardly...you see, Kakashi, tonight I will be welcoming young Raido into the family once and for all."

At the gasp that fell unbidden from Kakashi's mouth, Omoikiru leaned in closer. "Perhaps, child, if you behave for the rest of this day's session I might decide to allow you to join us for the Final Rite. Do you think you would like that, my boy?"

Kakashi's mind was spinning. Could it be true? Could Raido really have succumbed to their methods so soon?

A chuckle from in front of him caused Kakashi to frown. "Is it really so hard to believe that your friend might have found what we were offering him tempting enough to leave his loyalty to your backwards little Village behind?"

Kakashi didn't even need to think through his response. "Yes, it is."

"Then I will offer you once more the conditions upon which you would be able to verify for yourself just how much he has changed in the time he has spent with my children." Omoikiru's fingers tipped Kakashi's chin up until they were eye to eye. "Obey me today...and you will be allowed to accompany me to the Rite. Do we have a deal, Kakashi Hatake?"

Kakashi couldn't allow his true thoughts and plans to surface at that moment, for if he did, he was quite certain Omoikiru's offer would have been quickly rescinded. So instead he continued to fill his mind with his disbelief and need to see his comrade for himself. He closed his eye and sagged his shoulders in defeat before giving his response.

"Very well, Omoikiru. I will behave."

The smile that stretched across the man's face chilled Kakashi to the bone. "Good boy. Now let's care for this wound first, and then we will begin your training on the etiquette of the Conclave. After all...with this injury, I feel we shouldn't continue your physical training today. It would be best for us to keep to book learning today."

Kakashi fought down the urge to resist the man's help as he was slowly lifted to his feet and guided back to sit on the edge of the bed. He bowed his head demurely. "Yes sir."

He felt, rather than saw, the wave of satisfaction roll off the man, and had to push down the sick feeling that threatened to cause the contents of his stomach to attempt to escape. His sudden uneasiness was not missed by his captor.

"Are you okay, Kakashi?"

Rather than trying to create some intricate lie to cover his reaction, he simply looked up into the man's blood-red eyes. "I'm sick to my stomach, actually."

A look of worry graced the man's angular face and he quickly stepped away from Kakashi. "It must be your head wound is worse than I first thought. Stay still until I return...and do not lie down or try to sleep."

Realizing Omoikiru likely feared he was suffering from a severe concussion, Kakashi did his best to play into it. "But I'm so tired...I just want to take a short nap."

"_No!_ Do not move from your current position, child! Am I clear!?!"

Kakashi cringed at the volume of Omoikiru's demand and then lowered his eyes submissively. "Yes sir."

"You don't need to call me 'sir,' Kakashi. That sounds so impersonal." Kakashi shivered when he felt the bastard's fingers slide into his hair almost tenderly. "After all, child, you're to be my heir."

Those final words had barely registered into Kakashi's mind before Omoikiru faded into a gray smoke and disappeared. Kakashi pushed away the bitter taste his words left behind. He closed his eyes and lifted his hands up to where the metal collar still circled his neck. Kakashi's fingers slid easily over the surface...especially where his own blood covered the cool metal. A slow smile stretched across his lips when the sensitive tips of his fingers found the small crack that now marred the previously perfect surface. It wasn't enough to allow him to remove the device, but it did allow that tiny bit of chakra he'd felt earlier to start to pool within his pathways. And best of all, he was fairly certain the fissure was small enough that the others would never find it until it was too late.

Kakashi figured the best way to stop the others from noticing the results of his carefully devised battle with Omoikiru was to keep them too busy worrying about the cut on top of his head. So he laid himself down and waited for the others to return, knowing the older man would scold him for disobeying, but hoping it wouldn't keep him from taking Kakashi to the Rite tonight. After all, he needed to at least see his comrade in order to form some type of feasible escape plan for both of them.

* * *

Jiraiya was beginning to get worried. He'd been trying to track down his dead friend's son for over a week, and he had yet to truly find one scrap of evidence that the boy had even passed through these dismal, freezing lands. He stamped his feet and blew his breath across his gloved hands in a futile attempt to keep warm, watching with detached curiosity as that breath took physical form and the mist swirled around his hands to dissipate into the frigid air.

Jiraiya frowned as his mind took a turn he hadn't expected. What if the reason he wasn't finding any trace of the boy's chakra was that Kakashi had succumbed to this hostile environment and was actually lying lifeless under one of the many mounds of snow he'd been passing by? He closed his eyes and found an image of Kakashi Hatake dance across his mind...one that he'd forever hold in his heart.

Kakashi hadn't been more than four years old when Jiraiya was visiting his long time friend, Sakumo, at the Hatake Compound. The two friends were leisurely sipping on some premium saké when the precocious silver-haired terror burst into the room pulling both men's attention from their discussion.

"Father! I did it!" Kakashi's eyes went wide and he slid to a stop upon noticing Sakumo hadn't been alone in the room, Almost instantly, the boy switched from an over-joyed brat, into a much smaller version of his far-too-serious friend.

Jiraiya hadn't seen the boy since he was two, and the sight that presented itself now made him wonder at how in the World this toddler could manage to move so effortlessly and, well...non-toddler-like. After all, he'd passed by the Academy-yard on the way here and there were six and seven year olds there that weren't anywhere near as coordinated as this little boy was. Jiraiya frowned toward Sakumo and was more than a bit disturbed to see the look of pride in the man's face.

"Come here Kakashi. Come and say hello to your Uncle Jiraiya, and tell us what has you so excited, hmm?"

Kakashi, for his part, stared in undisguised suspicion at Jiraiya, even as he slowly walked toward them. He couldn't help but chuckle when the boy came to a stop next to his father and placed one small hand on Sakumo's thigh...all without breaking eye-contact with Jiraiya. He saw that tiny hand grip into Sakumo's pants before he spoke again.

"He's _not_ my Uncle, Father." It was most definitely not a question, and there was an edge to the words that actually made Jiraiya think that the boy was already starting to grasp the concept of 'killing intent.'

Sakumo, for his part, placed one hand on the boy's head and ruffled the silver locks, causing Kakashi to roll his eyes. "Kakashi, don't be so rude. Jiraiya is family...whether by blood or not...and you are to show him respect. Is that clear?"

Kakashi crossed his arms in front of him and looked to the side. "Fine."

Jiraiya smirked and rubbed his hand across the back of his neck while shrugging. "I guess I should have stopped by a bit more when the brat was younger, huh?"

A very low growl came from behind Kakashi's face mask, and Jiraiya had to keep himself from laughing outright and the boy's indignation. Sakumo's gruff voice refocused the boy's glare off of Jiraiya entirely.

"So, Kashi...what was it you wanted to tell us?"

Kakashi stepped away from his father slightly and turned to face the man. "I wanted to show _you_ what I learned in the Academy today."

That caught Jiraiya's attention. "Isn't the brat a bit young to be starting at the Academy, Sakumo?"

His friend simply chuckled and motioned for Kakashi to go ahead and show them what he'd learned. Jiraiya leaned back and crossed his arms, expecting to see some small feat of chakra control...like most children in the first year of the Academy were learning. So when Kakashi closed his eyes and took a calming breath before lifting his hands into the necessary hand-sign for a clone jutsu, he was surprised. But when the boy channeled his chakra into that sign and proceeded to form, not one...but _five_...perfectly formed clones, Jiraiya's jaw fell open. After all...that technique wasn't taught until the final year at the Academy. And then, when the brat made one subtle change to that sign, and two out of the five clones transformed into exact copies of Gaman-sensei and the Third Hokage, Jiraiya literally fell off his chair.

He could still remember the smirk on Kakashi's face as he stared down at him. "What's wrong, Old Man...haven't you ever seen the clone jutsu before?"

Jiraiya physically shook himself out of that memory. After that day, he had made it a point to keep an eye on the exceptionally talented boy. In fact, he took it upon himself to be there for Kakashi anytime his father was away on extended missions. Not that the kid ever really _needed_ him around, but he knew the boy appreciated it, even though he'd never admitted it out loud to him.

Jiraiya clapped his hands together and decided that it was ridiculous for him to even start to think Kakashi would give in to this harsh environment. The kid was just too damn stubborn for that...just like his father in that respect. So he figured it was time to take this task more seriously than most would ever expect he could. After all, Kakashi was more than just his best friend's kid...he was family. And besides, he'd never forgive himself if he failed to retrieve his number one fan for his literary masterpieces!

Jiraiya sat himself on the cold ground and ran through the necessary calming exercises to bring himself into partial Sage-mode. If there was any trace of the kid's essence around this snowbound land, he'd find it once his senses were in tune with the land around him.

As he felt the energy begin to gather around him, he had only one thought on his mind. "Hang in there Kakashi...Uncle Jiraiya is on the way!"

* * *

Akuen watched while her Little Bird was moved from the preparation table and into the Initiation Room. Although the man would not be strapped into the same chair that Kakashi had graced, his transformation would still entail some of the elements of that ceremony.

Before she could follow the group into the room, Jaken appeared at her side. "Forgive me, Akuen, but we've received news of an intruder from the outer posts."

She turned her attention to where her servant was standing with his head bowed. "An intruder, you say? What more do you know?"

Jaken raised his silver-haired head and met her gaze. "It appears one of the famed Sannin of Konoha has arrived in the outskirts of our lands."

Akuen narrowed her gaze. "Alone?"

"Yes, Akuen...alone."

She smiled toward her faithful servant. "And which one of the Three Sannin has graced us with their presence, hmm?"

"Reports are that it is the Toad-sage, milady."

She hummed in contemplation. "So...Jiraiya has taken a personal interest in tracking down the child. This is unexpected."

Jaken frowned. "How can you be so sure that this is the reason the man is here, Akuen?"

She stretched her lips until her teeth were bared in the farce of a grin. "Because, my dear, I know for a fact that Jiraiya of Konoha shared a bond with the child's father. And that bond alone would be reason enough for him to enter these lands in search of the child."

"How did you learn of such a bond?"

She chuckled at the man. "Our newest family member shared this information with me just last night...during one of our sessions. I have no reason to disbelieve such news, considering the source."

"I see. What would you like us to do about the Sannin, Akuen?"

She chuckled softly. "For now, Jaken, do nothing. After all, I doubt the man will ever manage to find our dwelling, even if he were given a map."

Jaken bowed his head at her apparent wisdom. "As you wish. I will go to let Lord Omoikiru know of the intruder milady."

Akuen hissed through her teeth. "No, Jaken. Leave that to me." At his confused expression she continued a bit softer. "Your expertise is needed with the preparation for the Final Rite for our Little Bird. I'll take care of the rest."

Jaken bowed once more and left to help the others prepare the Konoha shinobi for his his official entrance into the Family. Meanwhile Akuen smiled to herself. She would need to be careful in how she approached the challenge of bringing the Sannin closer to finding Kakashi Hatake, without angering her father move than she already had. But one thing was clear...she would not let this child usurp her power amongst the Conclave. And if that meant allowing the child to be rescued...then so be it!


	8. Lessons

Chapter Eight

Lessons

Raido was led into a room full of bright light and noise, and it was such a change to what he'd gotten used to over the past...what was it?...ten days?...two weeks?...that he was having a hard time processing what he was seeing. All around him were shelves loaded down with all types of books and scrolls, and there were chairs scattered throughout the room. Most of these chairs were occupied by people wearing clothing he knew he'd seen before...but for the life of him, he couldn't remember where. The light brown and white materials were somehow soothing to his tired eyes...but he found his gaze drawn toward the far wall where he saw four figures with brightly colored sashes around their waists.

Raido's movements felt clumsy as he limped toward where the four were obviously waiting for him, and he felt a moment of doubt when he tripped and fell to his hands and knees. But that doubt was replaced with a strange feeling of belonging when two of the four men calmly stepped to his side and reached down to help him stand. He felt a comfortable pressure against his mind and the feeling of welcome surrounded him. Raido felt a smile stretch across his lips as he thanked them in his mind.

The other two sashed men joined them and offered Raido pants and a shirt that matched what the rest gathered in the room were wearing. He nodded his thanks and gladly accepted their help as he struggled to make his muscles work enough to dress himself. Once finished, he noted the looks of approval he received at his appearance and found himself pleased as well. They guided him to where they had been standing earlier...two on either side of him...and then they all waited in silence.

Raido could feel each person in the room as a gentle caress against his mind, and he wondered how he could ever have thought these people were evil. He chuckled internally and felt those around him do the same...all of them sharing in his newly found joy.

As one...all of those in the room turned toward the summoning thought as the Lady of the Mountain entered the room. Raido felt his pulse race as the older women's gaze swept the room, stopping when she met his eyes. A faint smile graced her lips and she slowly crossed the span between them, never breaking the gaze. Raido felt her essence stroke against his mind in a soothing caress and when she finally stood in front of him and reached out to touch his scarred cheek he closed his eyes and leaned into her touch.

"There, there, Little Bird. You've earned your place in the Family now. All that's left is the Final Ritual of Unity. Are you ready to join us, Little Bird?"

Raido opened his eyes and bowed his head slightly in respect as he responded. "I feel as though I've been waiting for this moment my entire life, Lady Akuen."

He felt her fingers under his chin as she guided him to standing once more. "Well then...let's complete your journey, shall we?"

He felt the murmur of excitement roll through the room and stretched his lips into a grin of contentment before following his savior toward a niche in the far wall. Once there, the sashed men removed his shirt and Akuen guided him into position with his back in the nook and his arms outstretched until they settled comfortably into two channels carved into the stone wall. It allowed his inner arms to be accessible to two of the sashed men who each pulled their tanto out and placed the cold steel blade against Raido's skin. The moment the blades sank in, Raido felt the others anticipation and eagerness to take part in what was to come. It was rather heady to know he was desired by so many, and that this ritual would permanently ensure him a place within their ranks.

Raido moaned softly when the first two members of the family placed their lips to his wounds and soon, he felt his mind open farther with each new person who took him in. Raido closed his eyes as his vision seemed to grow hazy, and he now understood the reasoning for the uniquely shaped nook he'd been positioned in. By leaning his body back against the smooth stone wall he found the strain of standing while having so much of his blood given to the Family was essentially removed. It allowed his entire concentration to be shifted to the warmth and belonging he felt all around him without fear of falling.

A slight pause in the process made him aware of a new presence in the room. This one felt powerful...more so than even Lady Akuen...and for one terrifying moment Raido felt he was being judged by this new arrival...and might be found lacking. But that fear disappeared instantly the moment the man's essence seemed to wrap around him in a welcoming hug. In that moment, Raido knew he'd passed the final test, and he relaxed even more into what was happening all around him.

The minds of the others in the room sent off wave after wave of devotion toward the newcomer as they started to walk across the room...but Raido also sensed something more in their thoughts. There was almost a sense of awe and hope, and he was left wondering what might have caused such a reaction. He didn't have to wonder for long, as the crowd of bodies in front of him parted to allow him a clear view of someone who Raido instantly knew was his Master and Lord.

The welcoming caress of this man's mind enveloped Raido, and he felt his smile grow larger the closer the man came. His long hair cascaded over broad shoulders, and was just a shade darker than the knee-length black sleeveless tunic that was tightly cinched around his tapered waist. Raido could sense nothing but power and confidence from the man, and he at once felt the urge to serve this man for the rest of his life.

"Welcome into the fold, Raido Namiashi. We are stronger through your addition." The man smiled and leaned down over Raido's outstretched left arm and settled his smooth lips over his wound.

"You honor me too much, my Lord...I am..."

Raido was about to say more, but his breath caught in his throat as his eyes locked on the shorter, silver-haired man who had been walking behind his Lord. That man looked so familiar to Raido...as though he'd known him his entire life...but he couldn't seem to place a name to the face. There was a flash of sorrow in the man's single visible gray eye, and Raido found himself feeling somehow ashamed, even though this was supposed to be the best moment of his life.

* * *

When Omoikiru returned to Kakashi's cell, it had taken all the jonin's self-control to keep his thoughts from what he'd planned to do. Fortunately the blood staining the bedding had been enough to keep the bastard's concentration on something other than Kakashi's traitorous thoughts.

Once Omoikiru again tended to the injury...chastising him for failing to stay upright, but not otherwise showing anger...the two had delved into the finer points of the Conclave, and how Kakashi would be expected to behave once that meeting was held. The ridiculous thing was that Kakashi actually found himself partially intrigued by the complex rules and traditions surrounding everything about the gathering. In particular, he'd learned this strange little 'family' was only one of twelve groups that were scattered throughout the known world. The fact that the leaders of the Five Great Countries knew nothing about these groups was enough to tell Kakashi that this Conclave was likely a force to be reckoned with, and it reinforced his desire to leave this place so that he could warn the Hokage of their impending danger.

"We're only a danger to those who try to stop us. Eventually, you will accept this is a fact and embrace your destiny as my heir."

Kakashi held back a growl, sighing instead. "Why the hell would I even care to be considered your heir?"

Omoikiru raised his eyebrows and chuckled. "Do you honestly think you have a choice in this matter, Kakashi?"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the man. "There is always a choice."

Omoikiru settled a hard stare at Kakashi. "The moment you stepped onto these lands in your youth, your ability to choose your path was forfeited. You have been selected by powers older than this mountain to fulfill a role in the Conclave...one that you cannot escape...and it is my job to ensure you have the core knowledge to do just that. Do not fool yourself into thinking it can be avoided."

Kakashi wanted to argue against these statements, but before he had a chance, Omoikiru stood up and motioned for him to do the same before continuing to speak. "As much as I would love to continue our debate over your future, Kakashi, we are late for a very important gathering. Unless you've changed your mind and do not wish to accompany me?"

It took a moment for Kakashi to remember what the man was talking about, but soon his thoughts shifted to Raido...and finding out for himself just what the older jonin's fate was. He turned to face his host. "I would never pass up the chance to see my fellow Leaf Shinobi."

Omoikiru chuckled. "Well then, I wouldn't want to delay your reunion any longer than necessary."

When the last word left Omoikiru's lips, the taller man placed one arm around Kakashi's shoulder, and in less than a breath they were surrounded by thick gray smoke. When it cleared away moments later, Kakashi found his surroundings had changed. There hadn't been any clue that they had moved...unlike the transport jutsu he knew, which tended to make you feel like you left your stomach behind more often than not. Instead, he simply was no longer in his cell...and was now standing in the familiar doorway leading into the room where he'd experienced the Initiation Rite so many days ago.

Kakashi pushed down on the dread that filled him when memories of the many times he'd been strapped into the chair at the center of the room since then filled his mind. Omoikiru's quiet laughter at his side caused Kakashi to glare at the dark-haired bastard.

"Honestly, Kakashi...you really do need to learn to let go of such memories. Besides...your friend does not need to undergo the same Rite. He, after all, is not quite as stubborn as you are."

That gave Kakashi pause. He'd known Raido since their days in the Academy, and if there was one constant about the older jonin it was that he was indeed the most stubborn man in Konoha. Still, Omoikiru wasn't leading him toward the center of the room, so at least he could rest assured that Raido was not strapped into the chair he'd been in.

The two stepped farther into the room and Kakashi held his breath as the crowd before him parted to allow them access to the far wall. Kakashi silently followed behind the much larger man, and he couldn't help but shiver slightly as the many members of this twisted family closed in behind them as they passed. He felt their stares on his back and heard their barely concealed whispers about both Omoikiru and himself. They were all speaking of him as the next Head of the Family, and the surety in their voices gave Kakashi pause...making it quite obvious that it wasn't just Omoikiru's fanaticism he'd need to fight against.

At last, they'd made it to their destination, and the sight that met Kakashi's eye caused his heart to clench in something so much more than fear for his friend. He watched Omoikiru step closer to where the jonin was wedged into the wall and cringed when the bastard took hold of Raido's wrist.

"Welcome into the fold, Raido Namiashi. We are stronger through your addition." Omoikiru leaned down over Raido's outstretched left arm and settled his lips over a wound that was far too similar to the ones Kakashi had been given.

Kakashi cringed at the look of pride that flashed in Raido's eyes and at the raspy voice that sounded nothing like the man who'd been part of his ANBU squad for longer than any other shinobi. "You honor me too much, my Lord...I am..."

When Kakashi's gaze locked with Raido's, the man never finished whatever it was he was going to say. For a single moment, Kakashi thought he saw a flicker of recognition in those eyes...which were no longer the deep, welcoming brown he remembered. But it left as quickly as it came, leaving only glassy light gray pupiless eyes to stare back at him.

"Raido..." The name slipped from Kakashi's lips in a barely audible whisper...and with it every hope he had to rescue the man disappeared...to be replaced with the certain knowledge that his friend was no more.

Omoikiru's words brought him out of his stunned state. "Don't just stand there, Kakashi. Consider this another lesson of what is expected of you."

Kakashi stared at Omoikiru in confusion before his eyes widened in understanding. Kakashi knew these freaks considered him as the heir to whatever role Omoikiru played, and now the moment was at hand where he was being forced to take part in their bizarre rituals. Kakashi turned his attention back toward where Raido watched him with an eagerness and longing in his eyes that was more unsettling than anything else he had been through up to his point.

Kakashi drew in a deep breath and took a step closer to the former Leaf shinobi. He ignored the words of encouragement he was receiving from those around him, and concentrated only on the task ahead of him while closing the distance between himself and Raido. Kakashi stared into the jonin's face one last time before he allowed a sad smile to cross his face.

"Forgive me, Raido." His whispered words were swiftly drowned out by the sound of a thousand birds.

Raido's eyes widened to astronomical proportions as Kakashi pushed the concentrated chakra gathered in his palm through his friend's chest...destroying the heart within the man's chest as it passed through it and into the rock wall behind. In that last instant...just as Raido's mind must have realized what had happened to him...the eyes which had been glassy gray a moment before transformed back into the warm brown Kakashi had always known. A look of acceptance and gratitude settled on Raido's face as his last breath passed through his lips.

"_NO!"_ Akuen's tortured scream was echoed throughout the room as whatever connection they all shared with Raido prior to his death was so violently severed.

By the time Kakashi pulled his arm free of the now lifeless body, he already knew he was screwed. A quicker than normal creation of the raikiri was never easy on his body, and this time was no exception. The jutsu used up nearly every ounce of the chakra he'd managed to squirrel away, and he felt the throbbing of his sharingan just as he always did when he'd overdone it. The entire ordeal left him sapped of most of his physical energy as well, which, of course, left him far from capable of fighting back when he felt long fingers wrap themselves into his hair and yank him backward into the waiting arms of Omoikiru.

The man's free hand gripped Kakashi's right wrist painfully tight, and lifted it up until the blood and gore coating the hand was plain for all in the room to see. Kakashi's head was tipped back until Omoikiru's face came into view. When the man spoke, the anger in his tone was crystal clear.

"What did you hope to accomplish with such an unnecessary death, boy? Did you truly care so little for the man that you were unwilling to let him be free? Did you think we would be shocked into inaction so that you might flee?"

"It doesn't matter why he did it! He took a part of us...of _me_ away! He must _pay_!" Akuen's agitated voice grated on Kakashi's already hypersensitive nerves.

Kakashi felt Omoikiru's grip tighten in his hair. "Now see what you have done, child?"

Kakashi remained silent...even when he was forcefully thrown onto the floor. His vision swam as the after effects of chakra depletion settled into his muscles. The migraine that he knew would be next hit him with the force of a spiked mallet to the head, and the throbbing behind his sharingan grew to nearly unbearable levels. He was barely aware of being pulled roughly to his feet by Jaken and Chuushin.

Still, Omoikiru's icy voice managed to creep through Kakashi's dimming awareness. "Put him in the chair. Tonight...I will teach the boy what it means to go against the Family."


	9. Punishment and Resolve

Chapter 9

Punishment and Resolve

Omoikiru stepped back from where Kakashi was gasping for air. He stared down at the beaten and broken body strapped into the stone chair with something close to disappointment. The boy was infuriating at the best of times, and this punishment was most definitely _not_ the best of times. A good portion of the young man's body was now riddled with wounds...but no matter what he did to Kakashi, the foolish child refused to see anything wrong with the fact he'd killed one of the Family.

The rage the Family expressed when Kakashi dispatched their newest member was not easily quelled, and Omoikiru had been hard-pressed to contain his own anger when it was time to hand out the boy's punishment. But he managed to control the strong emotions...otherwise he doubted Kakashi would still be breathing at all.

Omoikiru ran his fingers through his sweat-soaked hair and frowned in contemplation. Part of him was furious at the young man's actions...but another part was filled with amazement at the fact that Kakashi had been able to hide his true intentions from the Family...from _him_...until it was too late. No one had ever been able to do that before. This ability of Kakashi's...to mask his actions at such a level...would definitely come in handy amidst the more devious members of the Conclave, but it was also something that would make it impossible to know just where the man's loyalties lay.

A pained groan from the direction of the chair drew Omoikiru's attention back to the silver-haired man. After several tries, Kakashi managed to pry his visible eye open to stare back at him with a look of utter hatred. Omoikiru sighed before moving forward and taking Kakashi's chin in his hand.

"Why are you finding this so difficult to understand, hmm?"

There was no reply. Omoikiru leaned in and whispered in Kakashi's ear. "There is nothing you can do to keep yourself from your fate. All you are doing is delaying the inevitable."

A low growl came from Kakashi as his only response. Omoikiru felt his anger grow once more, and he leaned back from the young man before backhanding Kakashi...the sound of skin on skin echoing throughout the Initiation Room. Omoikiru released another large sigh before he squatted in front of his reluctant heir...leaning his hands on top of Kakashi's thighs as he spoke.

"Tell me Kakashi...do you feel _any_ remorse for killing the man at all?"

He felt the boy's muscles tense at his words. "The only remorse I feel...is over the fact...that I couldn't kill him...before you twisted his mind."

Omoikiru's fingers dug into Kakashi's legs, pulling a pained groan from the young man's lips. "_Twisted_ his mind? How dare you! I opened the poor bastard's mind to the infinite possibilities of the Family! I laid the groundwork for the man to throw off the chains of servitude, and become part of something so much greater!"

He reigned in his anger and pushed himself up to stand once more. Omoikiru stared at the hand Kakashi had used to end Raido's life...his fingers still covered with the dried blood. "Answer me this, Kakashi Hatake...if you were given the opportunity, would you use your fist of lightning against even me?"

A harsh laugh left Kakashi's lips, and the young man glared at him steadily. "Without hesitation."

Omoikiru shook his head at the stubbornness being displayed. "Then I will need to remove that temptation...at least temporarily...so that you can more fully concentrate on learning your role as Heir."

That said, Omoikiru narrowed his eyes and drew in a deep breath before locking a stern gaze on the silver-haired man. "Remember, boy...you brought this on yourself."

He watched Kakashi's eye widen in something just shy of fear as Omoikiru swiftly slammed the heel of his hand against Kakashi's secured right arm. He honestly wasn't sure which was louder...the crisp snap of the lower arm's bones, or the surprised cry of agony that was pulled from Kakashi's mouth.

Omoikiru took a moment to measure the man's reaction to his punishment and frowned at the continued look of pure hatred staring back at him. Kakashi was straining against the thick straps that held him in place as though he thought he could actually escape. But it was when Omoikiru noticed the first tell-tale sparks of electricity across the fingertips of the boy's _left_ hand that he knew the lesson wasn't quite learned yet.

Without another thought, Omoikiru repeated the process...this time on the left arm...effectively disrupting the anemic build up of power in that hand. When it was over, Kakashi's breath was coming hard and fast, and Omoikiru stood shaking his head at the fool.

"I can see you are not one to learn quickly...even though I know you have been touted as a genius since before you could walk."

Omoikiru could feel the intense pain mixed with rage as it rolled off of the silver-haired man. But the intense stare on Kakashi's face showed only a fraction of it...rather, his eye held a cold, calculating edge that made Omoikiru curious as to what was running through his mind. But, for whatever reason, he wasn't able to glean so much as a hint of what lay beneath those surface emotions.

Kakashi spat out his reply. "I'll _kill_ you, you bastard!"

A light chuckle left Omoikiru's lips. "I've known that since the very first time I saw you, Kakashi. After all, it's how I knew you were destined to take my place. But that is still quite far away, and you have much to learn before you will even be able to try."

Kakashi's eye narrowed. "Don't count on it."

Omoikiru sighed at the boy's stubbornness. "No matter what you think, Kakashi, your path is already laid out for you. But regardless, we will need to accelerate your reeducation if there is to be any chance of you surviving your first session with the Conclave."

Omoikiru turned away from Kakashi and walked over to where Jaken had wordlessly laid out the items he needed to allow them to move forward. He picked up a bulky metal disk which encased the workings of one of the bulkier versions of a chakra siphon and flipped it over until the activation switch came into view. With the flip of a switch, the device let off a low hum and was primed for use. All he needed to do was set it in place to trigger the final stage of its activation.

Normally, he wouldn't even consider this older version of the device for the silver-haired shinobi, but with the man's superior dexterity removed from the equation, this bulkier version would serve its purpose rather well. Besides...the man would no longer be allowed the luxury of privacy. Omoikiru had no more time to waste dealing with Kakashi's urges to escape. From here on out, one of his four Sash-bearers would be required to stay near Kakashi...there would be no more leniency shown to the boy...only immediate punishment when he failed to perform to Omoikiru's expectations.

He turned back toward Kakashi and was pleased to see Jaken waiting to remove the defective suppressor that still circled the younger man's pale neck. He glanced down toward Kakashi's arms and noted the telltale bruising and swelling that marked where the shinobi's bones were no longer whole. Anyone else who had their arms broken would have been hard-pressed to stay conscious...but yet again Kakashi was showing his potential as he struggled to form hand signs the moment Jaken removed the suppression collar.

Omoikiru sighed and thrust the bulky metal suppressor against Kakashi's abdomen. "That's enough of that, child."

... ...

* * *

Kakashi had a newfound respect for Naruto's resilience. After all, the knucklehead had been forced to wear one of these contraptions the last time they were here in the Land of Snow, and he now knew from firsthand experience just how painful it was.

He'd been expecting the device to suppress his chakra...much as the collar had done. So he was taken by complete surprise when a surge of something so much more than electricity coursed through his body at the same time that four metal armatures snaked out of the device to firmly plant themselves into his abdomen. The pain alone had been excruciating, but that paled in comparison to the feeling of his chakra being pulled away from his body to be deposited into the device now firmly attached to his stomach.

To add insult to injury...when his entire body tensed from the immense energy of the device, Kakashi's broken bones shifted within his arms sending wave after wave of agony through him. Now he was unable to do more than twitch as the straps confining him to the stone chair were finally released. He barely registered the fact he was being pulled up and into the waiting arms of Jaken, or that he was being carried out of the Initiation Room.

His body was drenched in sweat by the time he was finally laid on the bed in his cell, and he groaned in pain when his broken arms were covered by one of the thick fur blankets. Omoikiru's voice pierced through the veil of pain, even as the man gently repositioned Kakashi's arms to rest on top of the fur.

"Tomorrow we will start again, child. And this time...you _will_ give me your full attention. Anything less will be punished swiftly and without question." This was emphasized by Omoikiru squeezing one of Kakashi's arms until a cry of pain escaped from his lips. "I trust I'm clear this time around?"

With that, Omoikiru left Kakashi alone. Well, not quite alone...as Jaken moved closer to the bed and stood watching over him, one hand resting on his tanto as though daring Kakashi to try something. Of course, at the moment there really wasn't much he _could_ do. His chakra was completely unaccessible, but even if it was...his arms were nearly useless. To top it all off, his sharingan eye had yet to stop throbbing and he feared the combination of all of this would soon drive him quite mad.

So the only thing he _could_ do at the moment was try to push his pain far from his mind and do his best to rest and recover from his day of punishment. With any luck at all, something would present itself over the course of the next few days that he might be able to use to his advantage. Until then, he would need to play the role of the obedient student. That should give his body time to heal...at least a bit...and he might just manage to learn something he could use against Omoikiru and his twisted family in the meantime.

... ...

* * *

Jiraiya was beginning to worry. It had been far too long since he'd entered Sage-mode and he still had yet to pick up so much as a hint of the kid's essence. His brows furrowed and his lips pulled into a frown. It was starting to look like perhaps Kakashi's luck had finally run out. After all...if Jiraiya wasn't able to find a single trace by now...it was very likely it was because the foolish kid managed to get himself killed.

Jiraiya's heart clenched painfully at that thought. He recalled the many times others had given up on the kid...figuring he'd been done in by one mission or another...and how, time after time, Kakashi had proven them wrong. Jiraiya had lost count of the number of times Kakashi had staggered back through the gates of Konoha...bloodied and broken and so close to Death's door that even Tsunade had mentioned she was surprised the kid survived.

Kakashi was just like Sakumo Hatake in that regard. The elder Hatake had also been blessed with the ability to survive the worst of the worst...and when it came down to it, Sakumo's death was only successful because it had been a result of his own hand. Jiraiya felt his eyes watering at the thought of Sakumo's death. He hadn't been in Konoha when it had happened...and Jiraiya always wondered if Sakumo would still be alive if only he hadn't been off researching.

Jiraiya remembered coming home from that particular trip. He'd been so happy with the quality of the research that he'd rushed straight over to the Hatake Compound to share his stories of good fortune with Sakumo over a bottle or two of premium saké. What he'd found there left him confused.

The main house was boarded up, and the gardens where the family shrine sat was overgrown with weeds. Jiraiya had forced his way into the main house determined to find answers, and when he came across the blood-stained flooring in the family dojo he knew something horrible must have happened. The stains weren't fresh...and it was with a heavy heart that he realized the sheer volume of blood needed to soak the wood such a dark shade of red.

Jiraiya's thoughts had turned toward Kakashi in that moment. Was the boy safe? Did any of his nephew's blood contribute to the stains coloring the floor? Just what the hell had happened while he was away?

A noise just behind him had Jiraiya spinning around with a kunai gripped firmly in his hand, ready to dispatch whoever was about to attack him. He pulled up short at the sight of his one-time student.

"Jiraiya-sensei. You're back."

Jiraiya put his kunai away and found himself staring back at the young man, taking in how tired he looked. "Minato...what happened here? Where are Sakumo and Kakashi?"

The blond-haired jonin sighed and lowered his head. "About that, Sensei..."

Jiraiya had frowned at Minato. In all the time he'd known the boy, he had never seen him at a loss for words. "Minato Namikaze...report!"

He saw Minato's shoulders tense at his command, but the young jonin stood at attention and then proceeded to detail precisely what had occurred in the ten months since he'd left Konoha. At the end of it all, Jiraiya felt as though his heart had been ripped in two. His brother was gone...without so much as a carving on the Memorial Stone to remember him by.

"What about the kid, Minato? Is he handling it okay?"

Another deep sigh...and now Jiraiya saw an exasperated expression settle on the younger man's face. "Come and see for yourself, Sensei. Maybe you can help me keep him from killing himself."

Jiraiya's heart nearly stopped. "He's tried to _kill_ himself?"

Minato's eyes widened. "No! Oh, Sensei...I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that! It's just that Kakashi refuses to do _anything_ but work and train since he was released from the Hospital after the incident."

Jiraiya let out a burst of air along with the horrible thoughts that had crowded his mind. "Don't do that to an old man, Minato!"

Minato had blushed and scratched at the back of his head. "Sorry about that."

Later that night Jiraiya had paid Kakashi a visit only to find the boy in the middle of his small apartment studying one of a hundred scrolls scattered about. What made him remember it...even today...was the fact the kid had been sitting cross-legged...on the ceiling!

"Wouldn't it be easier to just clean a spot down here to do your reading, Kakashi?"

The young silver-haired boy looked away from his scroll and blinked his large dark eyes as though trying to clear his vision from seeing a ghost. It was then that Jiraiya saw a flash of pained sadness cover the boy's face before it vanished to be replaced with a half-lidded look of indifference.

"Why bother?"

With that said, the kid went back to his reading...leaving Jiraiya to stand in the doorway with his arms crossed. After fifteen minutes went by Jiraiya had finally had enough. "Get down here, Brat!"

Kakashi glared at him from eyes that showed he probably hadn't had a good night's sleep in months. "Why?"

"Because I said so! Now get down here..."

Kakashi turned his attention back to his scroll. "No. This is _my_ apartment and you don't have the right to boss me around in here."

Jiraiya had stared back at the insolent brat for a handful of heartbeats before letting out a sharp laugh. "You're just like your father, Brat."

Kakashi's hands tightened on the scroll...crumpling its edges before the boy released his chakra and fell from the ceiling...flipping to land gracefully on his feet as though it was a completely natural movement for him. "Take it back!"

Jiraiya stared down at the much shorter boy. "Take _what_ back?"

Kakashi's face...well what could be seen of it...turned almost scarlet with anger. "I'm _nothing_ like that man! Take...it..._back_!"

It had been the first time Jiraiya could ever remember seeing Kakashi show anything close to emotion...and it had thrown him for a moment. But an instant later, the boy had moved across the room and started to use his tiny little fists to pound on Jiraiya's thighs...being unable to reach any higher. The litany from the child's masked lips clutched at Jiraiya's heart.

"Take it back! Take it back!"

Jiraiya had lowered himself to a squat and pulled the boy into his arms in a tight hug. At first...Kakashi had struggled against it...trying to squirm free or even to use hand signs to escape...but Jiraiya kept the boy pinned securely to his chest, refusing to let him loose no matter how much he tried to break free. He lowered his chin onto the boy's head and whispered to the distraught child.

"I won't take it back, Kakashi...but I won't say it again tonight...okay?"

Kakashi continued to struggle for a few more minutes before a large shudder racked the boy's body and he sagged into Jiraiya's grip. Although Kakashi had never shed a tear...the two of them spent the rest of the evening sitting silently on the floor of the kid's apartment, with Jiraiya just holding him until he finally fell asleep. Jiraiya gently lifted the boy into his arms and carefully placed him into the bed that took up the majority of the small room. He let a small chuckle out when he noticed the shuriken comforter he'd given Kakashi for his last birthday was covering his tiny body. He tucked his nephew in and quietly left the apartment, hoping the boy would be strong enough to survive this travesty.

Jiraiya shook himself from his memories with a renewed belief that there was no way the kid had given up on life yet...not after he had managed to survive the glares and whispers of the Village idiots who kept trying to compare him to his father...or the many missions where he'd succeeded when no one else would have been able to. No! Jiraiya refused to believe Kakashi Hatake wasn't still alive...somewhere. And there was no way in hell that Jiraiya would give up on the boy now!

His mind refocused...Jiraiya readied himself to set out once more, studying the piles of snow for any sign of his nephew's passing. Minutes stretched into hours, and soon Jiraiya was beginning to doubt himself again...until he caught a flash of crimson amidst the blinding white. At first, he feared it was blood...but he pushed that thought aside as ridiculous when he started to notice a pattern to the streaks of red. Jiraiya pushed himself a bit faster until he was kneeling next to where he'd spied the color. He pushed aside a bit of snow until he saw the crisp edges of a porcelain mask and the unforgettable visage of the ANBU Wolf staring back at him...Kakashi's mask!

Jiraiya frowned when the obvious occurred to him...whoever had Kakashi had deliberately placed the mask here. The question was whether his unknown benefactor was friend or foe. But he knew one thing for certain...whoever it was definitely knew _something_ about Kakashi's whereabouts...or they never would have gotten a hold of the ANBU's mask. And that meant Jiraiya really didn't have a choice...he had to step into the unknown...for Kakashi's sake.

Jiraiya carefully lifted the mask off the cold ground and moved to place it in his pouch when he noticed a piece of parchment stuck to its inside. He flipped the mask over and pulled the parchment loose, taking a moment to glance around him to try and sense if anyone was watching him. Once he was sure he was indeed alone, he unfolded the parchment to reveal what appeared to be a crudely drawn map.

The starting point on the map was depicted by a small drawing of Kakashi's mask and it showed a a definite path leading quite a distance before ending at what he thought might be one of the cliff walls in the far distance. What was a bit confusing to him was the fact the symbol that he assumed represented Kakashi was located on the other side of that cliff. He frowned and wondered if this was perhaps just an elaborate trap. He was one of the Legendary Sannin, after all...and he knew he had quite the price on his head.

Jiraiya held Kakashi's mask up until the vacant eye holes were even with his own. "What do you think, Kid? Is it a trap? Or have you just worn your welcome out and they're anxious to have your Uncle drag your sorry ass out of there, hmm?"

The cold porcelain failed to provide him any answers. Still...Jiraiya somehow felt closer to Kakashi than he had in quite some time. He placed the mask in his pouch and readied himself for whatever was to come. If everything worked smoothly, he hoped to have Kakashi back in Konoha long before Naruto even realized he was gone. Of course, when Kakashi was involved...things seldom ran smoothly.

Jiraiya smiled and clapped his hands together. "Right! Let's get this show in the road. Hang in there, Brat...I'm on my way!"


	10. A Test of Genius

Chapter 10

A Test of Genius

Kakashi couldn't help but groan as he stirred from unconsciousness. His arms were throbbing in time with his heartbeat, while there was a constant whir coming from the contraption on his stomach that reverberated throughout his entire body. He could actually feel his chakra being siphoned into the machine through the four tentacle-like spikes that had penetrated his abdomen, and it left his muscles constantly contracting against the sensation. Meanwhile, his covered sharingan was another source of concern for him. With the lack of chakra in his system he didn't dare open the eye for the fear that it would send him into chakra shock, but there was an almost unbearable pressure beginning to build up behind the silver patch. He knew that if it wasn't relieved soon he would likely go insane.

In short, he felt like crap and really wanted nothing more than to wake up from this Gods-forsaken nightmare once and for all. That, and maybe find a copy of Icha Icha to push all thoughts of this hell far from his mind.

A gruff voice interrupted his thoughts. "Get up."

It took Kakashi a moment to put a name to the voice. He cracked his right eye open and confirmed that indeed his newest alarm clock was none other than the blue-sashed Kobushi. His coal black hair was pulled back in a hair-tie, but two swaths of it fell loose and were framing his lifeless gray eyes. Those eyes sat wide beneath dark brows and his chocolate brown skin made them seem closer to white than gray. Kobushi frowned at him.

"I said get up."

Kakashi sighed and closed his eye. "That might be easier to do if I had two arms that worked."

He felt Kobushi grip his upper arms and yank him into a sitting position. A sharp pain drilled into Kakashi's skull from behind his patch at the sudden change of elevation, but he bit back the pained groan that tried to escape his lips.

Instead, Kakashi glared up at the dark-skinned man. "That wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

"It worked, didn't it?"

Kakashi rolled his eye. Just what he needed – a comedian. "Gee, thanks."

The hairs on the back of Kakashi's neck rose, and it was all the warning he needed, even without access to his chakra, to know that Omoikiru had returned. He turned toward the bastard and scowled, but before he could say a word a small silver cup was held in front of him.

"Drink this."

Kakashi raised his eyebrows in obvious disdain at the order. "I don't think so."

Omoikiru sat on the edge of the bed. "I was hoping we'd moved beyond your insolence, Kakashi. I suppose we'll just need to do this the hard way."

Omoikiru glanced toward Kobushi and a moment later the blue-sashed man had one hand wrapped in Kakashi's hair and the other hand was pulling his mouth open so Omoikiru could easily pour the contents of the cup into Kakashi's mouth. He sputtered against the thick liquid as it coated his mouth and throat, and it was in that moment that the taste gave away the fact it was once again blood being forced into his body.

"That's it, child. Swallow it down." A sick smile graced Omoikiru's lips as he continued to pour the blood into Kakashi's mouth. "After all, it's about time you tasted your destiny."

Kakashi choked on the liquid and tried to spit it back out, but no matter how hard he tried he still managed to swallow more than he could get rid of. Once the last drop from the cup had passed his lips Kobushi released his grip, and Kakashi was left gasping on the bed. Before he'd even finished catching his breath from the ordeal he felt Omoikiru's hands lifting one of his broken arms.

"This will hurt, my boy. But perhaps it will remind you that disobedience is not allowed."

With that said, Omoikiru began shifting Kakashi's arm side to side until he felt the broken bones line up once more. Kakashi couldn't help but scream out in pain as the injured limb was manipulated. Once the movement had ended, Omoikiru worked with Kobushi to fasten a splint and bandages around the limb before they moved on to do the same procedure to his other arm.

When the torturous process was finished, Omoikiru gently ran his long slender fingers through Kakashi's hair. "I'm afraid the device we fitted you with leaves using chakra to heal your injuries out of the question. But, again, let this be a reminder to you that disobedience will always result in punishment from this point forward."

Kakashi tried to pull free of the man's touch but Omoikiru simply curled his fingers into a fist within his hair and stilled his movements. Kakashi growled deep in his throat. "I'll fight you until my last breath leaves my body."

Omoikiru laughed at him with a smile. "I see. And what will that get you, Kakashi, besides more pain?"

Kakashi growled his reply. "Personal satisfaction."

That wiped the smile of the bastard's face. "Stop fighting me on this, Kakashi. We really don't have the time to waste, and the end result has already been decided."

Kakashi glared at him. "By who..._you_? Sorry, but I really don't give a rat's ass what you think has been destined for me."

The grip in Kakashi's hair grew significantly tighter and he was pulled closer to Omoikiru. "Enough! Today you will learn about the Great Conclave, and will be tested on that knowledge before you are allowed to rest again. Each wrong answer will result in immediate punishment. Each correct answer will gain you five minutes of uninterrupted rest tonight."

Kakashi's hair was released as Omoikiru pushed himself up to stand. "Failure to answer any of the questions will earn you another night in the Initiation Room and a second blood-letting...this time at _my_ hands."

With that said, Omoikiru crossed to the opposite side of the room where a large wooden table and two chairs had been set up. Kakashi furrowed his brow. He was starting to get tired of additional furniture showing up without his notice, and he was starting to wonder what else he might miss as the days dragged on.

Before he had time to worry any more about it, Kobushi pulled Kakashi to his feet and guided him to the table. Once he was sitting in the hard wooden chair, Kakashi placed his splinted arms on the surface of the table. "Well, I hope it won't be a written test."

Omoikiru didn't bother responding to Kakashi...instead he placed a thick tome on the table and opened it up to the first page. Kakashi frowned and stared down at the page that was covered in an intricate drawing that detailed the various branches of the Conclave and their locations within the Five Great Countries and beyond.

It was stylized in the form of a large tree superimposed over a sideways map of the world. The branches and roots held symbols that Kakashi assumed stood for each specific group of the Conclave. Those on the roots were represented by the Kanji for life, spirit, origin, history, power, and death. While the branches held the Kanji for sun, moon, heaven, seasons, change, and craft.

"This is the symbol that should concern you the most." Omoikiru leaned forward and placed his index finger on one of the root Kanji, tapping it to stress his words. "It represents everything that you will take over once you rise to power."

Kakashi focused on Omoikiru's first comment. "What does the Kanji for origin have to do with this?"

Omoikiru chuckled. "That Kanji represents this family..._our_ family. And it stresses the fact that without _our_ family the Conclave would cease to exist. Your destiny, Kakashi, is to ensure the continuation of this family, and keep the other branches from acting outside the best interests of the full Conclave."

Kakashi filed this information away – not daring to think of how he would use it to plan the Conclave's downfall while Omoikiru was still in the room. Instead he focused on trying to memorize all the subtleties of the chart laid out before him. The constant throb behind the eye patch seemed to intensify as Kakashi recognized how much easier the task would be if only he could have access to his sharingan eye...but he didn't, so he had to rely on the power of his own memory. Thankfully he'd always had a nearly photographic memory long before inheriting Obito's eye, so by the time the page was turned, to be replaced with another that listed out all the current heads of the Conclave branches, Kakashi felt secure in the fact he'd be able to refer to a mental image of the chart anytime he needed to.

By the fourth straight hour of learning about the history of the family and the Conclave, Kakashi was beginning to understand just how potentially dangerous the Conclave truly was. Although the core families tended to lead isolationist lives, there were members of the branch families holding key positions of power throughout the Five Great Countries. Kakashi had to reread one listing three times before he realized the reason the group of names caught his eye. Four of them belonged to high-ranking advisors of the Fire Country's Daimyou. Hell...one of them was actually on the Ruling Council!

If nothing else, this day of instruction made it crystal clear that Kakashi needed to get this information out to the Hokage...no matter what. Before he could really dwell on it for long, the book was slammed shut, causing Kakashi to wonder if Omoikiru had picked up on his traitorous thoughts. The concern quickly disappeared as a clean sheet of paper was placed in front of him.

"It's time for your first test, Kakashi."

Kakashi raised his eyebrows and lifted his bandaged and splinted arms onto the table. "And just how do you think I'll manage to write my answers, hmm?"

A sly smile slid across Omoikiru's lips and Kakashi started to realize he likely didn't want to know the answer to the question after all. "I would have thought by now that your genius mind would have grasped one of the mainstays of our family."

With a single nod from Omoikiru, Kakashi felt his right arm pinned to the table by Kobushi. A sharp kunai was used to slice through Kakashi's palm, and a moment later his bleeding palm was being held over the blank paper so that his bright red blood pooled on the crisp white sheet. Kakashi bit back a curse as his hand was then pressed flat against the paper. The kunai was next used to slice an inch long opening on the top of Kakashi's hand. Meanwhile Omoikiru used a second kunai to open his own palm and he then placed his wound over Kakashi's and pressed down until their blood mingled and a sharp hiss was pulled from Kakashi's lips.

"Shall we begin?" When all Kakashi did was glare in response, Omoikiru continued. "List our family's designation and the names of the leaders of the remaining families of the Conclave."

Kakashi was about to tell the man to go to hell, when he felt the fluid pooled under his injured palm flow toward the top of the paper and begin to write out the answers to Omoikiru's questions in an exact replica of Kakashi's handwriting. He tried to keep the answers from forming, but soon he realized it was pointless. Omoikiru's quiet laughter drew Kakashi's attention away from the blood-script.

"Your answers are not only correct, but much more detailed than I expected. Perhaps the rumors of your genius were not exaggerated after all. And can you venture a guess on just how we managed this little feat, my boy?"

Kakashi growled low in his throat. "The drink you forced down my throat earlier, and the addition of your blood to mine would be my first guess."

Omoikiru smiled brightly at him. "A true genius indeed! How delightful!"

Kakashi gave a tired chuckle. "It doesn't take a genius to notice something so obvious."

Omoikiru's hand pressed down until Kakashi's palm splayed farther and his breath caught in his throat. "Well then, allow me to make your next question a bit more challenging. List the members of the Moon Family...from youngest to oldest."

Kakashi pushed back his anxiousness at such a question and tried to think through the images in his mind. He could recall the names listed on the page devoted to the Moon branch of the Conclave. Unfortunately he was drawing a blank on how the hell he would know what order those names might go in. He frowned and realized he'd obviously missed some vital part of the lessons which might have given him the answer needed. So he had to make a guess, and he chose to list the names in the opposite order he had learned them, using the logic that these families would honor their elders by listing them first. He felt the blood pull from his hand and flow to form the necessary characters and then he waited in silence as Omoikiru studied his answer.

Although he'd never admit it out loud, Kakashi found he was actually hoping he'd gotten the answer correct. He refused to think he was looking for Omoikiru's approval...instead, he convinced himself that he simply wanted to prove to the man that he couldn't be trapped so easily. The seconds dragged into minutes, and soon Kakashi's confidence in his answer started to diminish.

Omoikiru lifted his hand off of Kakashi's and stepped back form the table with an unreadable look on his face. "Kobushi, bring him to the Initiation Room."

Kakashi shook his head and muttered quietly. "I thought I had gotten that one right."

As Kakashi was manhandled out of his chair Omoikiru chuckled at him. "Actually, you did manage to get it right."

Kakashi scowled. "Then why the hell are we going to the Initiation Room? I didn't get any of the questions wrong and I answered every one of them!"

"Ah, you misunderstand my intentions, boy. We are not going there to punish you. Far from it actually."

Kakashi growled. "Then what the hell is going on?"

Omoikiru stepped closer to him and took Kakashi's chin in his hand, tipping his head back until they locked eyes. "I've decided it's time for the games to end."

"What that hell does that mean?"

Kakashi's chin was released and he was guided out into the hallway. "It means it's time you were brought into the fold properly."

Kakashi frowned. This day was just getting worse by the moment.

- xx -

* * *

Jiraiya watched from a distance as a group of unknown shinobi made their way toward the cliff face that he'd figured was where his crudely drawn map was leading him. He scratched his head when the group came to a stop before the sheer cliff wall and stared at its surface as though they hadn't a care in the world.

These folks never seemed to speak to each other, and yet they always moved from one task to another without more than a nod. Jiraiya had been following them for quite some time now, and the longer he watched them, the clearer it became that they were definitely skilled enough to potentially take down an ANBU cell and capture someone of the level of Kakashi Hatake. Which, of course, meant that he'd need to be even more careful as he tried to follow them. Thankfully, he wasn't named Sannin just because of his pretty looks, so he was fairly confident he'd manage to find a way into the mountain fortress without being discovered.

Jiraiya clenched his fist around the makeshift map. Of course, there was still the fact someone inside that place likely already knew he was coming. The big question was whether or not he could rely on this unknown person as an ally, or simply as a slightly less enthusiastic enemy. He frowned at that thought. Why the heck was it that Kakashi could never seem to get himself captured by anything less than the strongest or most insane folks out there?

Jiraiya held back a chuckle at the answer that leaped unbidden into his mind. It had to be because the kid was born with the uncanny bad luck associated with the name Hatake. For as long as he could remember, the Hatake Clan had consisted of nothing but the brightest and strongest of shinobi. Unfortunately, the group also had the nasty habit of becoming the target of the craziest and most dangerous psychos throughout the Five Great Countries. It was part of the reason the Clan had basically been wiped out over the years.

That thought sobered Jiraiya instantly. He _had_ to keep Kakashi from becoming just another Hatake statistic. He took a moment to center himself, and then performed a high level genjutsu on himself that would enable him to blend in seamlessly with this odd band of men who, even now, stood staring at the mountainside. Of course, he would need to time this perfectly in order to pull this off. Too soon and he would likely be detected as a fake, and too late would leave him out in the cold on this side of the mountainside. Because if there was one thing he was certain of at this point, it was that Kakashi was somehow _inside_ that wretched pile of rock and snow.

Jiraiya felt the rumble of stone grating against stone deep in his bones. To the regular shinobi or civilian it would have seemed the cliff-side opened almost soundlessly, but to someone like him...a legendary Toad-sage...the actual movement felt so unnatural that he couldn't _help_ but notice it. He quickly completed the final hand sign for the genjutsu and allowed himself a moment for the illusion to bind itself to him before he moved to join those awaiting entrance into the innards of the mountain. With luck, they didn't have any checkpoints within the entrance and he would find someplace to peel away from the group and start searching for the kid without drawing any undue attention to himself.

Jiraiya already knew he didn't like these shinobi. For starters, none of them wore any sign of where their allegiance was. And in his opinion that just screamed bad guy. Hell, he had created numerous antagonists in his own novels which shared the bad habit. Of course he always made sure his heroes beat the living crap out of each and every one of them...while winning the hearts and favors of countless ample-chested damsels along the way. After all, that was the best reward for the fearless hero along the way. And he knew there were plenty of people out there who agreed with him...based on the fact his first book was already into its _fifth_ reprinting.

The line of scum in front of him stepped into the crevice that had appeared in the mountainside, and he quickly took his place at the back of the line, making sure to mask, or at least alter everything that might give away the fact he was not what he pretended to be. As with any time he used this jutsu, Jiraiya held his breath and prayed to Kami that he'd pull the rouse off, even as he followed those in front of him. He had to keep himself from jumping in surprise when the opening nearly closed on his heels. Instead, he smiled to himself when the others all seemed to scatter in multiple directions once they had moved beyond the entrance...at least this meant he wouldn't be drawing attention to himself as he went his own way.

Jiraiya found a path with little to no traffic on it and used his skills to meld with the shadows and start what he expected would be a long and dangerous search. After all, he couldn't expect there to be a neon sign pointing the way to where his nephew was being held. But then a long, drawn out scream echoed through the corridor he was walking in, and he had to keep himself from shouting out when he recognized the voice belonged to Kakashi!

Jiraiya's heart beat loudly in his ears, nearly making him forget to stay hidden. But he pulled himself together just as a pair of men wearing sashes – one red and one green – raced by him. As he saw a flash of silvery-white hair speed by Jiraiya's eyes widened with thoughts of Kakashi. But a moment later made it quite clear this man couldn't be the jonin he was searching for...for starters he was nearly twice the girth Kakashi was. Still, it was obvious they were heading toward where that unearthly howl of pain had originated, so it only made sense that he should follow in their wake.

Using every trick in the book to keep from being sensed, Jiraiya pushed himself after the two men and silently said a prayer that Kakashi would be worth saving once he finally caught up to him. After racing deeper into the very bowels of the mountain, Jiraiya found himself entering into a long candlelit room. He slowed his pace and found himself visually intrigued at how the room had obviously been set up to try and impress a sense of doom to anyone who walked through the columns which each held their own candlelit skull. He'd need to remember the details of this place for use in a future Icha Icha novel. Even now the author in him was screaming at him to pull out the small sketchbook he always kept in his pocket for the recording of such inspirations.

Another heart-rending scream pushed his urge to write out of his mind as his fear for Kakashi grew exponentially. He crept through the next room cautiously, especially once he realized not all of the bodies stretched across the steel tables were necessarily unconscious. Jiraiya was certain his own heartbeat would give him away, as it was beating that hard now, but he managed to make it to a large cavernous room without being discovered. He blinked back at the bright light that flooded the room and ducked behind one of the many bookcases scattered around.

Jiraiya heard soft voices off to the left and slowly made his way toward the noise in hopes of finding out just what the situation was. He barely held back a gasp of surprise when, at last, his eyes fell upon the sight of a bare-chested Kakashi writhing on the floor, while the two men Jiraiya had followed, along with two other men, stood around the boy and talked to each other, as though there was nothing unusual about having a grown man squirming at their feet.

Another scream – this time much quieter than the past ones – escaped Kakashi's mouth, ending in a soft whimper. The sound caused Jiraiya's heart to clench, but the group of four men simply stopped speaking for a moment before taking up their conversation once more. Jiraiya wanted nothing more than to leap into their midst and rescue the kid, but he just knew something more was going on here that he needed to understand before he would be able to successfully retrieve Kakashi.

So, although it nearly killed him to do so, Jiraiya sank back into the shadows of the bookshelves and let himself be content with simply observing. He allowed himself to still and gain access to his Sage abilities so that he might be able to hear more of what was being said without the need to move closer. A moment later found him listening to the strange conversation, and realizing the kid was in more trouble than he'd first feared.

- xx -

* * *

Chuushin felt the pull against his mind and knew he was being summoned to the Initiation Room, but what confused him was that no Rites were scheduled there tonight. Still, he knew better than to ignore such a summons, especially when it was obvious it was coming from Lord Omoikiru. So he made haste and wove through the corridors as quickly as he could. He had no idea what he was being summoned to, only that there was a feeling of dire urgency behind his Lord's summons.

Halfway there he met up with Jaken, who had also received Omoikiru's urgent summons. Because of this, he wasn't surprised to see Kontan and Kobushi waiting for them in the center of the Initiation Room. What was surprising was the fact that Omoikiru was not there...even though Kakashi Hatake lay writhing on the floor, still screaming as he had been while he and Jaken made their way here.

Chuushin moved closer to where the newest member of their family lay on the ground and frowned before looking into Kobushi's eyes. "I don't understand. What happened here? Where is Lord Omoikiru?"

He watched Kobushi tighten his hand around the hilt of his tanto. "Lord Omoikiru is off having his wounds tended to."

Jaken stepped forward and nearly growled. "Wounds? What wounds?"

Chuushin watched Kobushi look down toward where the silver-haired jonin was arching his back in pain. "This one found a way to turn the Blood-sealing against Lord Omoikiru."

Chuushin frowned. "That's impossible. There is no way to do such a thing."

Kobushi snorted. "Obviously there is."

"So how did he manage it?"

Kobushi knelt next to the silver-haired man on the floor and forced him onto his back so that they could all see the signs of what had occurred. When he noticed the distinct pattern of cuts along the jonin's neck and shoulders it was obvious to Chuushin that, indeed, Lord Omoikiru had started the final sealing of Kakashi into the family. But it was also obvious that the sealing was not completed, as there was no sign of the mark which they all bore in the center of their chests that only appeared when Lord Omoikiru's own blood was introduced into the openings carved in a circle around the neck. So the obvious question was just what had happened to interrupt the Rite?

Chuushin noticed Kakashi's chest was scorched and scattered with open gashes that were still bleeding, and with one glance down toward where the bulky chakra siphon was placed, the answer became clear. The device, although still firmly attached to Kakashi's stomach, showed signs that it had exploded. The crystal that used to make up the majority of the device was shattered, and probably was the cause of the majority of Kakashi's injuries. And if Lord Omoikiru had been standing in front of the man when the device exploded, it was unlikely that he would have escaped being damaged.

Chuushin joined Kobushi by kneeling next to the man. "How the hell did he manage to counter the device?"

Kobushi rubbed at the back of his neck. "I'm not really sure. One second we were preparing him for receiving Lord Omoikiru's infusion, and the next second I was watching our Lord flying backward as Kakashi slammed into me while I was holding him from behind."

Chuushin frowned and took another look at Kakashi as he continued to writhe from the random power surges being sent through his body by the broken device. It made no sense. The device used on the man had been for the specific purpose of keeping him docile until all the Rites had been concluded. There was no way to turn the thing off without introducing a second device that would override the original machine's purpose, and it was clear that secondary device was nowhere to be seen.

A new scream tore through Kakashi's throat and Chuushin's attention was drawn to the man's face. His skin was glistening with sweat and held the flushed tinge of someone running a high fever. Chuushin brushed the back of his hand against Kakashi's forehead and his suspicion was confirmed. He glanced up at where Jaken was standing with his arms crossed.

"He's burning up. Gather some cold water and a cloth so I can try to bring the fever down a bit."

Jaken nodded once and left to fetch what was needed. Meanwhile Kontan ran one hand over the top of his bald head. "Where did his patch go?"

Chuushin turned his attention back to where Kakashi was moaning against his obvious discomfort. Indeed, the silver patch that had adorned the man's eye since he'd joined them was no longer on his face. He looked around the room until he noticed a flash of silver at the edge of one of the bookshelves. Chuushin pushed himself back up to standing and crossed to where he'd spotted the color. Sure enough, the errant patch lay against the edge of the bookshelf.

Chuushin picked it up and turned it over in his hand. The strap was still intact, but the patch itself seemed to have split in two. He turned back toward where Kakashi was and knew they were all missing something about the jonin, but he just couldn't seem to place what it might be. Just then Jaken returned with the water and cloth. Kontan took the patch from his hand so he could return to Kakashi's side and attempt to lower the jonin's fever. All the while, he continued to run the various clues through his mind in an effort to figure out just how someone who had supposedly been restrained had managed to break free in such a way that he'd injured Lord Omoikiru.

Kontan's deep voice pulled Chuushin out of his thoughts. "The center of the patch is missing."

Before Chuushin could do more than wonder briefly what that might mean, he could have sworn he heard a quiet gasp from somewhere in the room. Considering he and his brothers were the only people in the room, the sound instantly put him on edge. It was obvious his brothers had heard the noise as well, and with a single thought he sent them to investigate. Meanwhile his attention returned to the man on the floor.

Kakashi was now tossing his head back and forth, trying to avoid the damp cloth Chuushin was pressing against his fevered brow. With more effort than he expected, Chuushin managed to still the man's head, and was just about to speak when the scarred lid over Kakashi's left eye snapped open and he came face to face with the man's sharingan eye. For the briefest moment Chuushin would have sworn he'd seen something other than the three small tommoe that were common in sharingan users, but in the blink of an eye the red and black eye seemed to melt back to its familiar form, making Chuushin doubt what he'd seen.

Before he could worry too much about it, he felt that eye bore into his mind and swiftly pull him away from the mental connection he always felt with the family. In a last desperate attempt to keep Kakashi from succeeding at his obvious bid for freedom, Chuushin sent an urgent alarm along his bond in the hopes that the remainder of the family would arrive before it was too late. Darkness pulled at the edges of Chuushin's awareness, and just before he succumbed to it, he heard his brothers startled cries from elsewhere in the room. Obviously someone had finally arrived to aide the Leaf Shinobi, and all Chuushin could hope for was that Lord Omoikiru would arrive before whoever it was succeeded.


	11. Reunions

Chapter 11

Reunions

When the desperate plea for help that had surged along the shared connection he held with his family was suddenly cut off, Omoikiru's last ounce of patience fled. It took him only a moment to recognize who the call had come from – Chuushin – and a low growl escaped Omoikiru's lips when it became clear he had vastly underestimated Kakashi's tenacity once more. Omoikiru pushed away the medic who was trying to pull another shard of crystal out of his bleeding neck. He didn't have time to worry about such insignificant things at the moment, and besides, the pain from the piece of crystal would continue to remind him of just how unpredictable the boy was, so he would not underestimate him again.

Omoikiru ignored the fervent pleas of the medical staff as they tried to convince him to let them finish, and he made his way to where he kept his own personal weapons. He lifted his family katana, Kon-Ikan, from its holder and ran one finger along the sharpened edge. His skin parted just enough to allow a slim stream of blood to color the blade's edge, and he watched with satisfaction as that scarlet fluid was absorbed into the metal. A moment later, and a series of characters etched into the backside of the blade glowed in the room's dim light. His lips curled into a smile as he slid the blade into its waiting scabbard. He'd put up with more than enough of the jonin's stubbornness, and now, with the help of this blade, he'd end the boy's rebellious urges, once and for all.

He'd truly hoped it wouldn't come to this...that Kakashi would have openly accepted his fated role in the Conclave...but that didn't matter any longer. Once this blade tasted even one drop of Kakashi Hatake's blood, the boy's soul would be bound to the Family's wishes, and there would be no further surprises from him.

Of course, it did mean that there might be some opposition from the Conclave to Kakashi taking his rightful place as Heir Apparent, but that wouldn't stop Omoikiru from moving forward with his time-line. He'd just need to make sure that the soul binding was removed right before the official gathering of the Conclave. By then, the true binding ceremony would seal the boy to him, and there would be no need for the extra precaution any longer.

Omoikiru placed Kon-Itan through his belt and closed his eyes to allow his mind to settle in on where he knew the boy was still struggling against Chuushin and the others. Perhaps he'd allow his devout followers a chance to get even with Kakashi before stripping the jonin of his free will. After all, once the boy was one of them, they would never again be allowed to lay a hand on him in anger. Opening his eyes, Omoikiru took a deep breath and willed himself to return to where Kakashi would learn the futility of trying to avoid his fate.

* * *

Jiraiya slid to a stop next to where Kakashi was thrashing on the floor and, for the first time since he'd stepped foot in this blasted mountain, he felt he just might manage to save the kid after all. Then he heard the blood-curdling scream escape the Copy-nin's throat, and his confidence was shaken. Jiraiya sank to his knees and watched as Kakashi's body was tortured by the device that he could see was affixed to the younger man's abdomen. He cursed himself for thinking for a second that this ordeal was anywhere near finished. After all, he'd never been quite that lucky. He needed to think of some way to get that mechanical thing, whatever it was, off of the kid without killing either of them.

Jiraiya ran a hand through his hair and spared a moment to glance around the room to make certain the sashed fools he knocked out earlier were still unconscious. It had taken him much longer to defeat them than he had expected, as they seemed to always know what their comrades were doing. And, of course, none of the bastards ever spoke...which just added to the surrealism he felt with this entire rescue. Jiraiya had toyed with whether or not he should kill the men, but something deep in his bones told him he'd need them to find the rest of Kakashi's ANBU team. Still, the last thing he needed right now was to have one of the oddly dressed men trying to keep him from helping Kakashi, but they all were still quite unconscious. He was just about to go back and tie them up when a resounding groan came from Kakashi. Jiraiya sighed in relief and returned his attention to the young jonin.

"I swear, Kakashi, one of these days your luck is gonna run out, and I won't be around to pull your ass out of the fire."

Jiraiya watched as Kakashi blinked open his eyes and fixed him with a pain-filled gaze. "Jiraiya?"

"The one and only!" He perched his fists on his hips and grinned down at the boy. "Who else did you think would manage to save the day, hmm?"

Kakashi groaned again, just before his body tensed from another shock of energy racing through his body. Jiraiya frowned and bent closer to get a better look at the device that seemed intent on electrocuting Sakumo's son. It was clear the thing was attached at four points, each of which appeared to have burrowed into Kakashi's body. If Jiraiya was to have any chance at all of removing the device, he needed to address all four points at once. The question for the day was just how the hell he'd manage that at all...especially considering the splints on both of Kakashi's arms made it clear the young man wouldn't be able to provide any additional help.

Jiraiya found himself truly wishing he had spent more time learning about healing jutsu from Tsunade, rather than staring longingly at her far too ample bossom. Still, he _had_ managed to pick up at least a few tricks along the way from the woman. He rubbed his hands together and focused his chakra into the palms, just as Tsunade had taught him, before moving to place them on either side of the device. He settled his hands on Kakashi's far too pale skin and sent a quick burst of his chakra toward where the four metal points pierced the younger man's skin. Quicker than he'd ever managed to move before, and hoping like hell that what he'd just done had indeed deadened Kakashi's nerves – at least temporarily, Jiraiya gripped the contraption on Kakashi's stomach and pulled with all his strength.

At first, the damn thing wouldn't budge, but Jiraiya refused to admit defeat and he focused his chakra into his arms for one final pull. He knew he had succeeded when two things happened...first – he tumbled backward onto his ass, and second – an ear-splitting scream came from Kakashi's lips. Jiraiya could only imagine how bad it would have been for the kid if he hadn't deadened some of the nerves surrounding the entrance wounds before yanking the thing off. Before he could dwell on it too much, a sudden shock of electricity surged out of the contraption. Jiraiya quickly released his hold on the device before it could do more than singe the tips of his fingers. Once it fell to the floor, he took great pleasure in stamping his sandaled foot down repeatedly on it until he was certain it was destroyed.

A groan from Kakashi's lips had Jiraiya at the jonin's side once more. He looked down to see the damage he'd caused by yanking the device off and frowned at the mixture of blood and puss that was flowing over the man's stomach. He cursed himself once more for not having the skills that Tsunade did, but a quiet chuckle from Kakashi caught his attention once more.

"Jiraiya, I don't expect you to heal them. Just plug the holes so we can get the hell out of here. The rest can wait."

Jiraiya met Kakashi's eyes and was shocked by how much pain he could still see in that mismatched gaze. He'd seen the kid after some of his worst missions, but he'd _never_ seen the young man show this much agony on his face. Jiraiya paused in his thoughts. Of course, he usually wasn't _seeing_ two-thirds of Kakashi's face. He tried to keep his voice from betraying his discomfort.

"You make it sound like you're a home repair job, Kid." As he spoke, Jiraiya started pulling out gauze and bandages and did his best to at least cover the exposed wounds. "So, are the others as bad off as you?"

Jiraiya felt Kakashi tense under his touch and glanced back up to see something much worse than pain cross the younger man's features. "Kakashi...?"

Mismatched eyes closed, and Jiraiya watched as the kid forced himself to place a neutral mask back on his face. When the eyes opened again, Jiraiya saw nothing but exhaustion. "The remainder of the ANBU cell did not make it."

That surprised Jiraiya. He knew from his talk with Tsunade that this particular cell was stacked with the best of the best. He couldn't help but wonder just whose names would be added to the memorial stone once he got them back to Konoha. Jiraiya frowned and returned to bandaging Kakashi's stomach without another word. He knew that the kid wouldn't go into details here, but by the look that he'd seen on Kakashi's face, there was sure to be one hell of a breakdown once they were back in Konoha.

Jiraiya tied off his work, and was just about to take a closer look at the wounds surrounding Kakashi's neck and shoulders, when the younger man lunged at him and pushed him to the ground with his splinted arms, knocking the breath out of Jiraiya's lungs in the process. The displacement of air from above them was all Jiraiya needed to know that Kakashi had likely just saved him from having his head removed from his shoulders. His first thought was that the shinobi he'd encountered earlier had woken up, and a single glance to the side proved it was exactly what happened. Fortunately it seemed he only had to deal with one of them.

The bald fool with the orange sash glared at them before leveling his tanto unsteadily at them. Jiraiya was glad to see the man wasn't completely over the beating he'd doled out, but there was something to be said about this guy if he had already been able to wake up, let alone function. Jiraiya hated when things didn't follow the plot he'd already written in his head. He had meant to patch Kakashi up, and then use one of these fools to locate the rest of the ANBU cell, rescue them all, and successfully return to Konoha where Tsunade would be so impressed with his abilities that she would throw herself into his arms and they'd spend the night making mad, passionate love. Jiraiya sighed as he realized his plot-line would never come close to what reality was throwing at him now.

"Step away from the Chosen One, infidel!" The gruff voice matched the deadly glare on the man's face, but it was the words he had spoken that gave Jiraiya pause.

"Chosen One? What did you get yourself into this time, Kid?"

Kakashi sighed and pushed himself into squatting position, trying to use his splinted arm in an obvious attempt to keep himself from falling. "Does it really matter?"

Jiraiya frowned at the answer, but didn't push. Instead, he refocused on the enemy in front of him. "Sorry, but I didn't come all this way just to leave the kid in your hands. You don't seem to be taking very good care of him. How about _you_ step away before I have to break you into pieces?"

Jiraiya's words didn't exactly have the effect he'd hoped for, as the bald man seemed to find his strength once more. "I will _not_ let you take the Chosen One away. I would rather die than let Lord Omoikiru's purpose for that man go unfulfilled."

Jiraiya's eyes went wide. "Omoikiru? It _can't_ be!"

"Please don't tell me you know the bastard, Jiraiya." Kakashi's voice betrayed his disbelief.

"Yeah...we've met up a time or two before." Jiraiya glanced toward the kid. "In fact, I was pretty sure the ass was dead after our last run-in."

"What's wrong, Jiraiya? Did you really think you had killed me?"

Jiraiya saw Kakashi flinch at the deep voice that came from across the room. He directed his own attention to the new arrival and couldn't help but frown at the towering form of a man he'd truly thought he'd killed thirty years earlier. The man didn't look like he'd aged a single day in the decades since they had last met up.

"Well, well, Kakashi. It appears that backward little village of yours actually _does_ know your value. After all, they've sent one of the Legendary Sannin to look for you."

Jiraiya let loose a low growl while moving to step between Kakashi and Omoikiru. "I didn't let you take his father...what the hell makes you think I'd let you have his son?"

Omoikiru's laughter grated along Jiraiya's nerves. "I should thank you for that, Jiraiya. If I'd taken Sakumo back then, this boy never would have been born. So the Family actually owes you a debt of gratitude for allowing the Chosen One to come into existence. Now step away, and allow me to finish what I've already started with the boy."

Jiraiya lifted a kunai and narrowed his eyes. "It ain't gonna happen, Omoikiru. Any more than it did back then."

Omoikiru smirked at him as he slowly withdrew a katana from its scabbard. "I was hoping you'd say that, Jiraiya."

* * *

Kakashi was struggling to accept this latest twist. Jiraiya had met up with this monster before...with Sakumo? How was that possible? He'd known the Toad-sage all his life. He'd grown up listening to all of the stories the older man had told him about his adventures with the White Fang. He'd never once mentioned a run-in with this man before. And considering just how bizarre Omoikiru was, there was no way in hell Jiraiya wouldn't have shared the story.

Jiraiya shifted once more to keep between Kakashi and Omoikiru. "I should have known you were involved in this, Omoikiru. All this mystery and over-the-top decor has always been the way you rolled."

Omoikiru's lips quirked at Jiraiya's comments. "What's wrong Jiraiya? I would have thought you'd appreciate my current accommodations. In fact, I'm certain you have already thought about how to write them into your next book."

Kakashi watched Jiraiya's shoulders tense and he knew the man had read the Toad-sage accurately. When Jiraiya didn't take Omoikiru's bait, the man chuckled once more before smiling at them. "Kontan, deal with the Sannin. Kakashi and I have some unfinished business to attend to."

Kakashi watched as Kontan attacked Jiraiya without a single word, and in less than the blink of an eye, he found himself separated from the man he grudgingly thought of as an uncle. But before he could spend any more time worrying about the Sannin, Kakashi found himself dodging Omoikiru's blade. He wasn't entirely sure why the dark-haired man was suddenly so hell-bent on hitting him with a katana when, up to this point, injuring him in battle had always been limited to broken bones and bruises. But one look into the man's blood-red eyes made it clear that it was exactly what Omoikiru's goal was. Which meant Kakashi's own goal was to avoid contact with that blade at all costs.

That task would have been difficult if Kakashi was in prime health, and, of course, at the moment, he wasn't even close. His chakra was still surging unpredictably throughout his body since the removal of the device, his sharingan was acting nearly as uncontrollable as it had done during the first year he'd acquired it, and the splints on his arms were making hand-signs out of the question. His stamina was never grand on the best of days, and now, after so many weeks of captivity, that stamina was very nearly exhausted. Still, Kakashi wasn't only fighting for himself anymore. Jiraiya was here too, and if the Toad Sannin managed to find him in this gods-forsaken hideout, the very least he could do was survive long enough to be rescued!

That thought firmly in place, Kakashi redoubled his efforts at dodging the lunatic he was in battle with. As he rolled out of the way once more, he heard Omoikiru's laughter. The bastard actually seemed to be enjoying himself, which was confirmed once his words reached Kakashi's ears.

"You continue to impress me, Child. Even though you are so gravely injured, and so obviously outmatched, you still manage to avoid my strikes. I can hardly wait to bring you into the fold once and for all."

Kakashi slid to a stop a few feet away from the man and tried his best to slow his racing heart before responding. "For the last time, Omoikiru, I want _nothing_ to do with you or your sick family."

Again that insane laughter rang through the room, momentarily drowning out the sounds of Jiraiya fighting Kontan. The sound made Kakashi's blood run cold, but Omoikiru's words absolutely froze his heart. "You make it sound like you have a choice in this, boy. Do not be so foolish. The only choice you have is whether to risk the Sannin's life by continuing this sad excuse for a fight or not."

Kakashi growled low in his throat. "What are you saying?"

Omoikiru's lips curled into a cruel grin. "Stop playing the fool, Kakashi. You know precisely what I'm saying. But I'll humor you this one time all the same. Stand down, allow me to draw your blood, and I will ensure the Toad Sage makes it to Konoha in one piece...and alive."

It was Kakashi's turn to laugh. "You can't be serious. You've already drawn more than enough of my blood. And I wouldn't underestimate Master Jiraiya if I were you. That man has never needed my help to survive in the past, and I doubt he needs it today."

As though in reenforcement of what Kakashi just said, Kontan's broken body sailed between where Kakashi and Omoikiru were facing off. Kakashi watched the dark-haired man's eyes narrow. It was the only warning he received before the man became a blur of motion and Kakashi saw the katana blade arcing toward him once more. Kakashi used his splinted arms to deflect the strike, causing his broken bones to shift once more and send a wave of excruciating pain throughout his body. The sound of the supports cracking were drowned out by the scream that slipped out of Kakashi's lips as his body fell to the ground from the force of the impact, but at least the blade was kept from slicing into him.

Before he'd even had the chance to still his voice, Omoikiru's blade struck out once more. Kakashi tried to lift his arms up to block again, but the damaged limbs refused to move. The last of his energy was quickly leaving him, and Kakashi made the only move left to him...he flattened himself to the floor and attempted to roll away from the imminent strike. In the back of his mind, Kakashi knew he wasn't going to be quick enough to avoid a strike, but a blur of white blocked his view of both the blade and Omoikiru, and it wasn't until he registered Jiraiya's grunt in front of him that Kakashi understood what happened. The Toad Sage stopped the attack on Kakashi by placing himself in the path of the blade and blocking it with the steel plates on the back of his hands.

Omoikiru's voice held an edge of humor to it. "Still up to your old tricks, hmm, Toad? You just can't seem to keep your nose out of other people's fights, can you?"

Kakashi watched as Jiraiya pushed the blade back toward Omoikiru and stood tall before the enemy. "And you just can't seem to stay away from the people who matter to me. So I guess we're even."

Omoikiru's face spread into a feral grin. "I didn't know we were keeping score, Jiraiya. But if that's the way you want it, then I suppose it's time for me to make it count."

Kakashi watched as Omoikiru raised the katana and took a step toward them, only to have Jiraiya lift his hands into a well-known series of and signs causing a wall of flame to appear between them. The Sannin growled out his response, making Kakashi glad the man was on _his_ side. "Try that again and see where I put the flame next!"

Omoikiru lowered his blade and narrowed his eyes at them, and Kakashi thought for certain he and Jiraiya were about to enter into the battle of their lives against the dark-haired bastard. But instead, Omoikiru's katana was placed back into its scabbard. Kakashi blinked in surprise at the movement, and tried to fathom just what the man had in store for them now.

"Well Jiraiya, although it's tempting to see just where you might place that flame, I think that will need to wait for another day. After all, Kakashi looks as though he's truly had enough for today. Perhaps it's time you brought him somewhere to rest."

Now Kakashi was truly confused. Had he fallen unconscious again and this was all just a twisted dream? Or was it actually possible that Omoikiru had just told Jiraiya that they could leave? It had to be a dream, right?

Jiraiya moved closer to him and carefully helped Kakashi into a standing position. "Are you ready to go, Kid?"

Exhausted, Kakashi leaned into the Sannin's grip. "If this is just a dream, Jiraiya, don't bother waking me up."

Jiraiya didn't say another word to him. Instead, the Sannin smiled and placed his right arm firmly around Kakashi's waist. Next, Jiraiya lifted his left hand up into the sign which Kakashi hoped would bring them both far away from these psychos. He felt the familiar chakra of his honorary uncle wrap around him, and Kakashi let out a sigh of relief when the transportation jutsu took hold without any interference from Omoikiru. After all, his injuries would all heal in time, and by the looks of it, Jiraiya had managed to escape with only a small cut on the back of his left hand. Still, as they faded from the Initiation Room, Kakashi couldn't help thinking he was missing something. He could only hope it wasn't anything important.


	12. A Little Rest

Chapter 12

A Little Rest

The sensation of someone's fingers running through Kakashi's hair pulled him from the dark comfort of sleep. But before he could even think about lashing out at the person, he felt a calming surge of familiar chakra surround him. Kakashi didn't bother opening his eyes once he recognized it as Jiraiya. Instead he focused on the fact the Toad Sage was still there, and he was lying in a comfortable bed...safe once more. He smiled to himself at that thought and moved to stretch out the kinks that had formed throughout his body from his ordeal. The movement was not as successful as he had hoped. His arms were still obviously broken and wrapped in splints, and the wounds from where the chakra-sucking device had been attached to him were still quite inflamed. Meanwhile, his chakra still felt raw as it traveled through his body, and he doubted he'd be able to accurately control it at this point.

But that made no sense. If Jiraiya had managed to get them away from Omoikiru, then why wasn't he at least partially healed? And, come to think of it, why was he in a soft bed rather than the unforgiving mattress he'd come to associate with hospitals over the years? Kakashi had a feeling he didn't want to know the answers to these questions. But he also knew he had no choice but to find out what was going on if he ever expected to actually return to Konoha.

Kakashi tried to first ascertain where he was by sniffing at the air. Unfortunately, all he could smell at the moment was the scent of his own blood and burned skin. So he partially opened his right eyelid and tried his best to take in his surroundings. The first thing that came into view was the bright white mass of hair atop Jiraiya's head. Directly below that were the dark eyes that seemed focused only on him. The Sannin's voice held an edge to it that Kakashi couldn't quite place.

"About time you woke up, Kid. Are you feeling rested?"

Kakashi blinked up at the man. "Actually, I feel like I've been on the receiving end of one too many Rasengan."

Jiraiya grinned brightly at him. "But that's why I had to bring you somewhere to rest!"

Kakashi smiled back at the man's enthusiasm. "That's fine, Jiraiya. But I don't suppose this place has any medics?"

Jiraiya frowned and looked confused. "But I brought you somewhere to rest."

Kakashi chuckled at him. "Okay. How about something to drink then?"

"But I brought you here to rest."

Kakashi narrowed his eye at the man. Something wasn't quite right with the sage. Jiraiya was an accomplished author who had never had a problem with understanding or using words up to now. Why was he suddenly unable to get beyond the fact that Kakashi needed to rest?

That bad feeling that kept creeping up on him throughout his time of captivity reasserted itself into the core of Kakashi's being. He forced himself to turn his head and try to get a better view of where they were . He regretted it the moment his eyes focused on the far too familiar clear glass wall. His eye went wide even as his stomach clenched. Kakashi twisted his head back to face Jiraiya.

"What the hell is going on, Jiraiya? Why would you bring me _here?"_

Jiraiya's only reaction was to smile wider and say the words that Kakashi was truly getting sick of hearing. "I brought you somewhere to rest."

Kakashi slowly opened his left eyelid to reveal his sharingan and risked using what little chakra he had available to him to scan the man. What he saw made him sick. All throughout the sage's body, Kakashi could see _something_ crawling just below the surface. It looked as fine as spider-webs, and it infiltrated every aspect of the man's being, from his chakra, to his muscles. Kakashi closed his eyes letting out a groan of despair as he realized, all too late, that the small scratch he'd seen on Jiraiya's hand was likely used by Omoikiru to gain control of the Toad Sage through yet another blood technique.

That left him with very fews options at this point. After all, if Omoikiru's technique was already so ensconced in Jiraiya's body, there wasn't much he'd be able to get the man to do. Kakashi tried to calm his racing heart and think of what exactly Omoikiru's words had been. He could recall a comment about where Jiraiya might put his next flame jutsu, but at that point all Kakashi had wanted to do was get away from that sick bastard and sleep. Was there a comment about sleep? No...not sleep..._rest_! That was likely why Jiraiya kept repeating that damned phrase over and over. Omoikiru had suggested the Sannin bring Kakashi somewhere to rest. It was normally such an ordinary turn of phrase, but that must have been how the man triggered his control over Jiraiya.

Kakashi opened his eye and found the Toad Sage hovering near him, as though he had no other purpose in his life than to ensure he was resting. A slow smile crossed Kakashi's lips. Perhaps he could use Jiraiya's mental bonds to his advantage.

"Jiraiya, you want me to rest, right?"

A disturbingly freakish grin spread across the older man's mouth, making him look somewhat insane. "Of course, Kakashi! That's why I had to bring you here. I brought you somewhere to rest!"

"I see. The problem is, I _can't_ rest, Jiraiya."

That look of insanity promptly changed into one of absolute horror as the Sannin's eyes widened dramatically. "But you _have_ to rest! That's why I had to bring you here. Please, just try."

Kakashi resisted the urge to smile as he continued forward with his impromptu plan. "I'm sorry, Jiraiya. But my arms hurt too much for me to rest. Perhaps if there was some way to fix them I might be able to rest."

The way Kakashi had phrased his suggestion made it clear that he would not be able to rest as long as his arms hurt so badly. The rest was up to Jiraiya. If the mind control was more than just a cursory desire to meet a specific goal than likely Kakashi would be out of luck. But if Omoikiru had only been able to apply a vague requirement in that initial moment of contact, then he just might have a shot.

For a single moment, Kakashi saw something flash in Jiraiya's eyes that made it crystal clear the man _knew_ he was being controlled. It was gone as quickly as it came, but when the large man reached over to his left arm and gently started to remove the shattered splint, Kakashi held on to the hope that he had actually found a way around Omoikiru's plan. Or at least one small part of his plan.

"Hold still, Kid. I'm not as adept at this as Tsunade, but if it'll help you rest then I have no choice but to try."

Kakashi smiled sadly at the white-haired man. "I'm sure you'll do fine, Jiraiya."

Of course, the moment the man started shifting his arm to and fro in order to realign the bones which had shifted during his battle with Omoikiru, Kakashi was starting to think his brilliant plan was perhaps not as brilliant as he had first thought. He did his best not to black out or make a sound louder than a pained groan while the Sannin worked on him. It wouldn't do to attract attention to what they were doing if they could help it.

Once Jiraiya adjusted his bones, he then sent a steady stream of healing chakra into Kakashi's arm. Jiraiya had not been exaggerating when he had said he wasn't as adept as Tsunade. Comparing the two would be similar to comparing the shuriken throwing skills of one of Iruka-sensei's pre-genin brats to that of a Tokebutsu jonin whose specialty was thrown weapons. Where Tsunade's chakra would infuse the entire area all at once, deadening nerves when necessary to limit the shock to the patient's body, Jiraiya simply forced his chakra into the body and ruthlessly melded the broken fragments of bone back together. When he was finished, the bone was repaired, but Kakashi's arm felt as though it had been wrung out to dry.

Jiraiya leaned back and grinned down at Kakashi. "Can you rest now?"

As much as Kakashi wanted desperately to say that he could rest, he knew that the only way he'd stand a chance against Omoikiru when he next showed his face was to have _both_ his arms healed. So he bolstered his courage and nodded toward his still injured right arm.

"Mah, Jiraiya. How can I rest when the other arm is throbbing in jealously?"

The Sage sighed and ran one large hand through his hair. "I suppose that's a problem then."

Kakashi watched as Jiraiya pushed himself to standing and walked around to the opposite side of his bed. Once there, the man quickly repeated the steps he'd used on Kakashi's left arm. This time Kakashi couldn't hold back a small shout of pain when his lower arm was being manipulated back into place. The noise seemed to cause Jiraiya great anguish, but fortunately the man continued with the healing.

When it was over, Jiraiya sank to his knees and Kakashi heaved a sigh of relief. For the first time in far too long, he could actually move his arms and fingers. Granted, it wasn't completely pain-free, but at least he'd be able to hold a weapon if he had the chance. That is, if he could manage to find a weapon.

"Can you rest now, Kakashi?"

The eagerness in Jiraiya's voice worried Kakashi more than a bit, but the way his question was phrased opened the door for another attempt at healing.

"It's better, Jiraiya. But these wounds on my stomach still have me on edge."

The sage's face twisted into something close to a pout. "If I close them up will you at least _try_ to rest?"

Kakashi smiled at the Sannin. "I promise I'll try, Jiraiya."

His answer transformed the pout into a beaming smile, and Jiraiya leaned forward to start removing the bandages he'd placed on them such a short while ago. But before the man had loosened more than one tie, an ice-cold voice filled the room.

"You stupid, stupid excuse for a man! I gave you everything you needed to find and remove the child, and you _still_ managed to screw it up!"

Every muscle in Kakashi's body tensed when Akuen appeared on the opposite side of his bed, directly across from Jiraiya. If Kakashi was honest with himself, he had truly hoped he'd never have to see the old crone again. Something about that hungry look in her eyes when she swept her gaze over him still managed to make him uneasy. But what was even more unsettling was the fact Jiraiya had no reaction to her appearance at all. He simply sank back on his knees and docilely placed his hands in his lap.

Akuen shook her head at Jiraiya's reaction and sighed before turning her attention toward Kakashi. "And you, boy. You were simply supposed to complete my set and allow me to expand my control over these lands. But no. You had to catch my Father's eye, didn't you? And now you've become the one thing I can not allow...his replacement."

Kakashi narrowed his eye at the women and pushed himself up to sitting. "Then let me go, and you'll never see me again."

"If it was truly that easy, Child, you would have been gone long ago. But my father has already made it clear to me that I can not directly interfere." She moved to run one of her hands across Kakashi's neck, He gripped her wrist to still her hand, but she continued speaking. "And by the look of those marks around your neck, you were closer to losing your precious bonds to Konoha than you think."

Kakashi growled and pushed the woman away from him. "It will take far more to sever my bonds than a few cuts in my skin."

Akuen's lips stretched wide enough to show her pointed teeth. "So then you believe yourself stronger than a Sannin? How delightful!"

Kakashi frowned. "What do you mean?"

Akuen motioned toward where Jiraiya was still kneeling with a glazed look in his eyes. "A small scratch by Kon-Ikan was all my father needed to introduce a single speck of his own glorious blood into one of Konoha's strongest. And that speck was more than enough to rob the man of his so-called bond to Konoha. Enough so, that here you are...still safely ensconced in our home. But I'm sure it was all just a fluke. After all, you are _certain_ that it will take more than a few cuts in your skin to sever your bonds."

Kakashi placed his fingertips along one of the cuts circling his neck. His words were barely above a whisper. "I'll find some way to reverse what Omoikiru has done to Master Jiraiya."

A shrill cackle came from Akuen's throat, and Kakashi felt his anger rising with each sarcastic word that fell from her lips. "Now wouldn't that be perfect, Child? If there was some miraculous way to counter a blood technique that has been handed down through generations of my family? Now, why hadn't I thought of that?"

"Think whatever you'd like, Crone. But I _will_ find a way to free Jiraiya and myself from this nightmare."

Now that wiped all pretense of a smile off of Akuen's lips. "Do you truly think that, Child?"

Kakashi met her stare steadily. "Yes, I do."

"Then let me show you just what you are up against, silly boy."

Akuen disappeared and, a moment later, reappeared next to Jiraiya. She leaned in close to the Sannin's ear. "What, my dear man, is your purpose here?"

Kakashi watched as Jiraiya's back straightened and the sage spoke words he'd already grown tired of hearing. "I had to bring him somewhere to rest!"

Akuen's gray eyes glimmered as she moved closer still to the man. "Would you like me to give you the means to let the boy rest forever?"

Kakashi watched as Jiraiya's eyes showed his internal struggle even as his lips betrayed him. "Yes, please."

Both of Kakashi's eyes went wide, and his sharingan allowed him to see how the foreign substance within the white-haired Sannin seemed to surge with each word Akuen continued to speak, even as she pulled a long thin-bladed knife from her sleeve and placed it into Jiraiya's hand.

"One thrust into his neck and the boy will enjoy a rest that no one can disrupt..._not even my father_."

Kakashi frowned when Jiraiya's hand clutched the handle of the knife and lifted the blade into position. This, most definitely was _not_ what he'd expected when he'd first seen the Sannin. And the horror in the older man's eyes made it crystal clear to Kakashi that he had no control over whatever happened next.

Akuen's laughter hung in the room even after she disappeared from view and, as though that had been some silent signal from the woman, Jiraiya moved to follow out her suggestion. Kakashi barely managed to roll off the bed before the long blade of the knife slid through the spot where his neck had been moments before.

"Jiraiya! Stop!" Kakashi hoped the desperate plea would be enough to shake the Toad-sage from his actions, but it was not.

"You need to rest, Kakashi."

Those words, which he knew he never wanted to hear again, were all Jiraiya would utter now. Kakashi tried to come up with some means of snapping Jiraiya out of it, but in reality his mind was too occupied with avoiding the Sannin's deadly attacks to truly focus on anything else. What was worse was that, when that blade came far too close to him once more, he'd inhaled the distinctive scent of poison along its blade. He had to figure out some way to stop Jiraiya before it was too late.

Another sweep of the blade and Kakashi grabbed hold of Jiraiya's wrist before he could complete the movement. The two Konoha elite stood locked together – Jiraiya trying to push through the grip, while Kakashi tried desperately to keep him from succeeding. This deadly dance continued for countless minutes. Both men's foreheads were coated in sweat, and one wrong step caused Kakashi to lose his footing, pulling Jiraiya down with him. Now, he was pinned to the floor by the much greater weight of the Toad-sage, with the older man using his position to force the tip of the knife closer still until it was directly in front of Kakashi's sharingan eye.

That eye automatically focused on the tainted tip of the weapon, and all Kakashi could do was stare at it as the blade continued to move toward him. A sharp pain behind his left eye caused a groan to be pulled from Kakashi's lips, but he refused to close his eye when it was the only way to keep the weapon in sight. But a moment later and his vision from that very eye seemed to blur at the edges. No, not blur...after all, the tip of the blade itself was still seen crystal clear. It was the immediate area _around_ that blade's tip that almost seemed to swirl around it.

Kakashi fought to remain focused on that tip, and soon that swirling gained speed until he could actually _feel_ the distortion take physical form. And by the sudden intake of air by Jiraiya, it was obvious that the older man was experiencing the effect as well. This was confirmed when Jiraiya let loose on the knife and pushed himself away from Kakashi.

The spinning continued until that distortion started to collapse into itself, and at that moment, Kakashi followed an instinct and clamped down on the stream of chakra that continued to siphon into Obito's eye. Without chakra to feed the anomaly, it quickly disappeared...taking the poisoned blade with it.

Kakashi closed his sharingan eye and his breath came in short gasps as he forced back the urge to collapse. He couldn't afford to be lax until he was absolutely certain the danger was truly gone. After all, he really didn't think he could fight the man off a second time. He refocused his attention to where Jiraiya was staring at him with wide eyes, and Kakashi readied himself for the worst when he saw the man start to cross back over to where he was still sprawled across the floor.

But as Jiraiya moved closer, the first thing Kakashi noted was that the glazed look in the man's eyes was gone. The Sannin stared at him from eyes as clear as any Kakashi had ever seen. In fact, those eyes held a look of concern and amazement in them. Still, when Jiraiya knelt next to him on the floor and reached out to grip him by the shoulders, Kakashi couldn't hold back a flinch. This, in turn, caused the older man to cringe before he spoke.

"I probably deserve that, Kid. But it's just me now. Really. Whatever the hell you did to that knife, you did the same thing to whatever that sick bastard put in my blood."

Kakashi licked his lips. He wanted nothing more than to believe what the man was saying. But it was just too much to take in right now. He noticed Jiraiya reaching out for him again and Kakashi did his best to scramble back from the man...that is, until his back hit the wall.

"Kakashi, calm down." Jiraiya brought one large hand up to scratch at the back of his head before he placed a goofy smile on his lips and sank down to sit on the floor. "Yeah...okay...I get it. I probably wouldn't believe you if our situations were reversed."

The two stared at each other for a good minute before Jiraiya sighed in evident frustration. "So what do I need to do to convince you, Kid?"

Kakashi frowned. That, after all, was a very good question. What _could_ Jiraiya do to convince him? Then the answer came to him. It wasn't anything _Jiraiya_ could do. It was something _he_ could do! Kakashi slowly opened his sharingan eye, ignoring the painful throbbing that even now was threatening to steal his awareness from him. He concentrated on Jiraiya and was amazed to see that there didn't seem to be anything other than his own chakra flowing under his skin. A startled gasp from in front of him forced his attention back to where Jiraiya was now looking at him as though he'd grown a second head.

"Kakashi...what the heck happened to your eye?"

Kakashi sighed and closed his sharingan, hoping that would be enough to appease the throbbing organ. "Jiraiya, really...you _know_ what happened. It was a gift from Obito."

Now Jiraiya frowned at him. "Stop joking around, Kid. Your sharingan looked...well, it looked..._different_."

"Different?"

"Yeah. Sort of...I don't know...sort of like a pinwheel."

"A pinwheel?" Kakashi let loose a large yawn. He was more worn out than he'd been in a long time.

Jiraiya's voice gave him something to focus on. "Yes, Kakashi. A pinwheel. It was the same when you did that trick with the knife. By the way, thanks for that – and for, well, you know, saving my life."

Kakashi chuckled. "Right now, Jiraiya, the best way you could thank me would be to get me the hell out of this place."

Kakashi let another yawn out and Jiraiya folded his arms over his chest. "Maybe you should rest a bit first."

Kakashi glared at the man. "Don't you _ever_ use that phrase with me again!"

Jiraiya flushed red and quickly held his hands up in surrender. "Right. Sorry about that Kid. Ready to go home?"

Kakashi smiled and allowed Jiraiya to help him to his feet. "That sounds good. But can we get out of this room first?"

"And here I thought you were growing used to our hospitality." Omoikiru's icy voice surrounded them just a moment before the dark-haired man shimmered into existence between them. "I'm afraid I'm not ready to let you go just yet, Kakashi."

With those words, Omoikiru's hand circled Kakashi's neck. Jiraiya's wide-eyed look of disbelief was the last thing Kakashi saw as he was pulled in close to Omoikiru and whisked away.


	13. The Medicinal Properties of Peeptoads

Chapter 13

The Medicinal Properties of Peep-toads

Omoikiru's patience was at an end. This boy...this maddening child of destiny...was proving to be far more difficult than he'd expected. Never before had he met someone who could anger him so quickly and so completely. Yet, at the same time, he knew that it was those very traits that were exactly what his family needed to survive the coming meeting of the Conclave unscathed. The question was just how would he be able to rein the boy's spirit in without breaking what made him so unique and useful? Particularly when the child managed to find a way around every restraint placed on him, or those around him. It was infuriating.

He willed his anger to subside, knowing that he needed a clear head when dealing with this puzzling boy. Omoikiru walked over to where Kakashi's unconscious body lay in a heap next to the wall and stared down at him with a frown. "Why must you fight so hard against this, boy? You should feel _honored_ at being chosen."

Of course, there was no answer from the young man lying at his feet. Whatever Kakashi had done to sever the connection between Omoikiru and the Toad Sage had obviously taken the last of his energy with it. Which was unfortunate, as the boy needed to be fully awake for the final sealing ritual to work. But that was something that was definitely easy to remedy.

With just a thought, Omoikiru summoned his chief medic to bring something to wake the boy with, and he settled into a squat next to Kakashi to wait. His arms were crossed on his knees, and he spent the time watching the boy's chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm. When in a state of rest like this, without the stress of the world showing in his features, it was easy to see just how young Kakashi truly was.

Omoikiru reached out and pushed back the wave of unruly silver hair that covered the man's left eye. Even with the scar cutting through that eye, this man had the potential to enrapture even the oldest of the Conclave's matrons. And his shinobi record alone would go a long way toward winning over the men as well. It was rare indeed to find someone with the lethal combination of looks, youth, experience, and power. And Omoikiru would not let a misplaced loyalty to that backward little village of Konoha strip his Family of such a perfect tool!

He leaned forward and lifted Kakashi into his arms before standing and carrying the boy toward where he'd have no choice but to embrace his destiny. There would be no more drawn out rituals, no more chances for outsiders to step in, and no more risks that his own family might try to sabotage what he planned for the boy. He placed Kakashi into a smaller version of the stone chair in the main Initiation Room and secured him with chakra-dampening straps. Throughout it all, the boy remained unresponsive, but at the moment that was the least of his concerns

He felt the arrival of his head medic and he turned to face him. "I want him awake and aware by the time I return."

The medic bowed deeply in acknowledgment of the order and quickly took his place next to Kakashi. Knowing that his orders would be fulfilled to the letter, Omoikiru's attention shifted to the remaining problem...namely the Toad Sage and discovering just how that man had found his way into this complex. There was no way Jiraiya would have managed it on his own. He frowned as he thought through who might have been insane enough to bring the Sannin into their midst and came to a disturbing conclusion.

Omoikiru closed his eyes and reached out with his mind until he found the person he suspected had been the catalyst of this latest fiasco. Once located, it was child's play for him to shift to where they were. The only sign that they had felt his arrival was a slight tension playing across the woman's shoulders.

Surprisingly, she continued what she was doing without turning to acknowledge him. Omoikiru's words were laced with enough killing intent that anyone else would have been helpless at his feet. But this was his daughter, and she had built up a resistance to such things decades before. Of course, this did nothing to calm the growing anger in his mind. And Omoikiru couldn't hide that fact from his voice.

"You _wicked_ child...how _dare_ you interfere when I had _warned_ you that such pettiness would not be tolerated?"

Still she ignored him, her full attention on whatever task she was performing. Omoikiru reached his hand out and grasped her long hair in his fist before yanking back and tossing her away from where she'd been kneeling a moment before. There was no sound uttered from Akuen, not even from her mind, as her body's trajectory sent her careening into the back of the Initiation Chair.

Omoikiru's attention fell to what she had been working on before he'd interrupted. On the floor lay the still bodies of his four sash-bearers. While Kontan had obviously been dispatched by Jiraiya, the remaining three bore wounds that showed they'd been prematurely harvested, and by the fact that the blood on the floor was only just starting to congeal, it was clear that these were fresh kills. The ceremonial knife sat on the floor where his daughter had just been kneeling. He glared down at the bodies while his words hissed out between clenched teeth.

"What have you _done_, Akuen?"

Her continued silence was the only response. Allowing a powerful wave of anger to wash over him, he spun on his heel to confront the woman. Her head was lowered, with her hair splayed out across the floor, no longer being held neatly in place. Omoikiru stepped toward her and noticed that she was shaking. At first, he thought that it was being caused by sobs of grief, but as he grew closer he could hear the woman's laughter beginning to build in volume. By the time he'd crossed to her side, Akuen had lifted her head until he could see her face clearly. Blood coated that face, and although some of it could be explained away as cast-off from the men on the floor, the majority of it was likely caused by the two gaping holes where the woman had apparently carved out her own eyes.

By now the laughter had reached maniacal levels, and Omoikiru's anger slipped away as he knelt in front of the woman and placed his hands on either side of her face. He leaned forward until his forehead was pressed against his daughter's. He didn't even flinch as Akuen's hands reached up and her fingers scratched down the back of his hands, trying to dislodge his grip on her face.

"Has it really come down to this, Daughter? Are you so unwilling to share Kakashi with me that you would destroy all that I'd given you?"

Akuen's insane laughter stopped at his words, and when she spoke, he barely recognized the scratchy voice that came from her bloodied lips. "_Share _him_?_ You weren't going to _share_ him, Father. He was meant to _replace_ you! If anyone was to replace you, it should have been me! But now you can't have him either! I've taken away the Pillars of the Family to keep you from sullying our blood with that _creature!_"

Omoikiru sighed. "You stupid, stupid child. Did you not learn _anything_ throughout your life with me?" He felt Akuen's feature's shift into a frown. "_No one_ can destroy the Pillars except _me_. Those bodies that you so carelessly wasted are no more the Pillars than you are, my dear child."

He allowed his daughter to pull herself free of his grip. "But...but you taught me that the Sash-bearers were the Pillars...that without them the Family would fall!"

It was Omoikiru's turn to laugh, although his was nowhere near as hysterical as his daughter's had been. "I did, indeed, Akuen. But the moment these sash-bearers lost their flame of life by hands other than my own, their duties were transferred to others within our fold. Even now, the newest sash-bearers are making their way toward where the boy will become mine at last."

Akuen fell to her knees, tipping her sightless face up toward where he was standing. The disbelief was plain to see on her blood-stained face. "No! That can't be!"

Omoikiru shook his head at his daughter's stubbornness. "Silly child. You don't even recognize the role you just played in proving to me that this boy is indeed the Chosen One, do you?"

"You lie! Everything I have done was meant to _disprove_ his worth!"

"Then you are less worthy of this Family than even I realized. Your actions were foretold in the Tome of Endings and Beginnings. 'Behold – the Child of Fate will cause the unworthy to turn against their own in their bid to destroy the Pillars of Origin. But this action will allow the Family to blossom anew and become stronger for their loss.'"

Akuen placed her face into the palms of her hands and shook her head. "No...no..._no_..._no!_"

Her voice broke into sobs, and Omoikiru knew that it was time to end this nonsense once and for all. He moved to stand behind his daughter and, gripping her head between his hands, he placed a kiss upon the crown of her head a moment before he delivered a single violent twist to break her neck and end her suffering. After all, her blood was no longer suitable to share with his remaining family.

A single tear slid down his cheek as he faded from the room. Although, in the end, his daughter's death had been foretold, it did not completely remove the sadness from his heart. But he did not have the luxury to grieve for the woman quite yet. Thanks to her actions, he needed to meet with the newest Sash-bearers and prepare them for the duties that they would need to take over. Only then would he be able to continue with his plans for Kakashi.

* * *

"Dammit...dammit...dammit!" Jiraiya couldn't believe that he'd been so close to getting himself and the kid out of this damnable mountain only to have Omoikiru pull it all away from him. How would he ever face Tsunade if he didn't manage to get Kakashi back? Hell...how would he ever face _Naruto_?

That kid spent most of his time complaining about how crappy a teacher Kakashi was, but if any of that was true, then Naruto wouldn't know half as much as he did. Sure, he was still ragged around the edges, but if push came to shove, he knew that deep down Naruto wanted to impress Kakashi most of all.

He clapped his hands and rubbed his palms together. "Okay. So first things first. It's time to find some way outta this room."

Of course, that was easy enough. He wasn't a Sannin for nothing, after all. He spread out his essence and made sure no one was coming in the hallway just beyond the glass wall. Once he was satisfied, he focused his mind and sank into the floor. A moment later and he reemerged in the hallway just beyond the glass wall. He brushed off his clothing and tried to think of the easiest way to find wherever the hell it was that Omoikiru had hidden Kakashi this time.

There was no discernible chakra signature for him to lock onto, which meant he'd have to do this the old-fashioned way. Smirking to himself he performed hand signs that he hadn't used in decades. In fact, the last time he'd used them was to keep an eye on multiple bath-houses at the same time. Because, contrary to popular belief, his research was not as easy as people thought. It took great skill and patience to find just the right muses to inspire such literary masterpieces as the Icha Icha series.

A medium-sized puff of greenish-gray smoke dissipated to reveal a hundred and fifty small peep toads. Their small size and darker colorings made them the perfect surveillance method. And in a dark, cavernous place like this one, he'd definitely need help tracking the Kid down. With a grin he squatted down with his arms draped on his knees and addressed his summons.

"Kakashi's gone and gotten himself in a heap of trouble again. We need to find him...fast!"

A hundred and fifty tiny little heads bobbed up and down in understanding before leaping off in every direction. Jiraiya didn't need to tell them out loud just how important it was. Every one of his summons, from these tiny creatures all the way up to the mighty Gamabunta, knew who Kakashi was, and that the boy was the closest thing he had to family in this world. He knew they would do their best to find boy as quickly as possible.

Jiraiya stood back up and placed the same henge he'd used back when he first entered this mountain of doom. Once he was satisfied that he wouldn't stick out at first glance, he started off down the corridor on his own search for Kakashi. With luck, between his and the toads, they'd reach their goal and be back in Konoha before the day was out.

* * *

Kakashi felt his awareness being pulled back from the all-encompassing black of oblivion, and he fought with all his might to ignore that insistent tug. But any resistance he gave was met by a doubling of the pull, making it impossible for him to avoid the pain of consciousness for long. And all too soon he could hear the drone of talking all around him. Of course, at the moment, he couldn't quite comprehend just what the words meant, or whose lips they came from. And when someone pried open his right eyelid he couldn't keep a groan of pain from escaping his mouth as the bright light of the room felt like it would cause his sleep-fogged eyeball to explode.

Slowly, he started to understand some of what was being said around him, and he had to fight back another groan when he heard the unmistakeable voice of Omoikiru. "How long until his mind has cleared?"

An unfamiliar voice replied from right in front of Kakashi, and it was clear that this man was the one who had so cruelly exposed his eye to the harsh light. "I'm afraid his exhaustion is more than just physical, my Lord. Whatever was done to put him into this state will likely take days, if not weeks, to reverse itself fully."

Kakashi could feel the anger rolling of Omoikiru at this news, and he couldn't keep a small smirk from pulling his mouth up on one side. Unfortunately his captor seemed to notice the move as well. Long fingers were threaded through Kakashi's hair until his head was pulled roughly back against what he assumed was the back of a chair.

"When all of this is over, Child, you will share with me just what you did when you freed the Toad-sage from my power that left you in such a state."

Kakashi lifted his right eyelid on his own until he could see the slightly blurry form of Omoikiru directly in front of him. "I'm not really the sharing type."

The sudden intakes of breath around him let Kakashi know that there were at least four others in the room, apart from Omoikiru and the man who'd originally forced his eyelid open. He couldn't sense Jiraiya anywhere nearby, but considering he could barely sense himself at this point, he really wasn't surprised by that fact.

Surprisingly, Omoikiru actually released his hair and stepped back with a small laugh as a response to his comment. "At least I can be sure that your wit has survived these latest events. But don't worry yourself, Kakashi. Soon enough you will share your deepest, darkest secrets with me willingly."

Kakashi frowned as he forced his mind to be a bit more focused. "Perhaps you should speak with Akuen. She can tell you that my secrets are my own."

A flash of emotion flickered across Omoikiru's face at mention of the woman. If Kakashi had to name it, he would have sad it was a mix of anger and sorrow. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, and now it was replaced with a look of ice.

"You will not speak that name..._ever_ again. _Am I clear?_"

Kakashi wanted to come back with some smart-ass comment, but he'd seen this look on people before, and it was clear that any word spoken against such a statement would be met with immediate and severe pain. So he closed his eye and waited for whatever would come next. After all, the madman obviously had something in mind for him, or he wouldn't have been woken before his body was ready on its own.

"Your initiation has been delayed once more, Kakashi, but don't doubt for a moment that you will be mine before this night is out. Once these new Sash-bearers have been prepared, we will be back to seal you to our purpose."

Kakashi's opened his eye at that, and noticed four strangers standing around him, each wearing the sashes that he'd come to associate with Akuen's pets. But it was crystal clear to him that none of those original sash-bearers were present. Kakashi's mind spun at the endless possibilities that could explain away the sudden change in personnel. Perhaps Jiraiya managed to disable more than just the one he saw?

"That old fool was lucky to have managed hitting _one_ of them." Omoikiru's laughter reminded him that he needed to guard his thoughts more carefully. "But thank you for reminding me that there is still another loose end to take care of tonight."

Kakashi glared at the bastard, making sure his thoughts were filled with the ways he wanted to choke the life out of him. When Omoikiru reached out and ruffled his hair like Minato-sensei used to when he was seven, Kakashi growled.

"Don't despair, Child. The day will come when you will take my life. But that event is destined to happen many years from now. Until then, it will be my job to make sure you know all you need to know to rule the Family, and eventually the Conclave."

Before Kakashi could say so much as one word to disagree with the man, Omoikiru and the new sash-bearers disappeared from sight. His first thought once they left was that they were going to kill Jiraiya.

"Relax, boy. Lord Omoikiru won't set the new Bearers after the old man until he's sealed them properly."

He growled at the man. "Can all of you bastards read my thoughts?"

"I don't need to know how to read minds to figure out that you are worried for your friend." The man moved to stand in front of him, giving Kakashi his first good look at him.

The man was of medium build, but with none of the defined musculature of the shinobi he'd encountered. His dark hair was cropped short, and unlike all the others he had met in this place, this man's eyes were not the shade of gray he'd come to associate with the Family. In fact, they were a clear blue that reminded him instantly of both his ex-sensei and his former student. Which in turn made Kakashi determined to find a way out of this mess and back to Konoha.

Of course, that would be easier if he wasn't strapped into a chair with the biggest headache he'd had since he first received Obito's sharingan. He let out a low groan when that eye started to throb in time to his heartbeat, and he felt what he hoped were tears slipping past his closed lid.

"Are you in pain?" It almost sounded like the man was concerned.

"Would it matter if I was?"

A frown crossed the man's face. "Of course it matters! It's my job to care for your well-being."

Kakashi sighed. "If you truly cared for my well-being then you would let me loose."

There was a long silence before he answered. "If I thought that you could make it out of the mountain before he caught up to you, I might be tempted. But you can't...especially in the shape you are in right now. So let me help you in a way that I can. Let me check your eye for you."

Now that surprised Kakashi more than a bit. This was the first sign of something other than abject devotion toward Omoikiru, and he wasn't sure if he should trust it or not. "There's nothing you can do for it. I overused it, and it will take time for it to recover."

"I see. Would it help if you had it covered again?"

Still unsure of the man, Kakashi nodded slowly. A grin covered the healer's lips as he reached into a pouch at his waist and pulled out some bandages. He laid them on Kakashi's lap and then pulled out a gauze pad. Within moments, the man had expertly wrapped the bandages so that they held the gauze in place over his sharingan without blocking his right eye in the process. The slight pressure from the dressing actually seemed to lessen the pain.

"Any better?"

Kakashi was about to answer when he noticed something small and brownish-green moving across the floor just beyond the man. He felt a flicker of hope spring to life when what he'd been able to identify as a peep-toad disappeared in a small puff of smoke to be replaced by the towering form of his honorary Uncle. The Toad-sage wasted no time, and with a series of hand-signs his snow-white hair grew to astonishing lengths and wrapped itself firmly around the healer, covering his mouth in the process.

Kakashi smiled up at the captive man. "I'm feeling better by the moment."


	14. One Hop and a Leap Closer

Chapter 14

One Hop and a Leap Closer

Jiraiya finished releasing the bands that secured Kakashi to the chair, sparing a glance to make sure the man he'd found with the Kid was still safely secured. The last thing he needed right about now was dealing with any more of Omoikiru's faithful followers. Serious blue eyes watched his every move, but the man now wrapped in chakra wire made no move to struggle against his bindings. Jiraiya sighed and turned his attention back toward the silver-haired jonin.

"Explain to me again why you seem to attract the attention of the truly insane?"

"If you listen to Omoikiru, then I guess it's my fate." Kakashi gave a dry chuckle. "Personally though, I think it's my good looks."

He frowned at the younger man. "Seriously, Kakashi. I won't be around forever to save the day."

He watched as the jonin moved his hand up to rub at one of the open wounds around his neck. Kakashi grunted when that wound started to trickle fresh blood. "And here I thought _I_ was the tragic hero."

Jiraiya let loose another sigh while he moved to take a closer look at the latest injuries. "I don't think I'll ever understand that man's obsession with making people bleed."

"There's a lot of power in blood-jutsu. Especially if you can tie it to the fanatical faith this group shows Omoikiru. But what worries me more is the fact that this whole thing is a lot larger than just this one group."

"Larger?" He shook his head. "So then, even if we make it back to Konoha, this won't be over. That's just great. As if dealing with the Akatsuki and the Sound Village wasn't bad enough."

"Speaking of the Akatsuki, shouldn't you be watching over a certain knuckle-headed ball of energy?"

Jiraiya chuckled at the jonin. "The kid knows better than to confront any of those lunatics on his own now. In fact, I guarantee that he'll run away at the first sign of a black and red cloak."

"Right. And just what could have possibly happened to make Naruto suddenly realize that he isn't invincible?"

He tried to avoid needing to answer that particular question by changing the subject. "Do you think you'll be able to walk at all?"

"Jiraiya, what aren't you telling me?"

He scratched at the back of his head and avoided meeting Kakashi's eyes. "Now's not the time, Kid. We can discuss Naruto once we've got you back home."

It looked like Kakashi was about to argue with him about it, when the man suddenly leaned forward and pressed the palm of his hand against his bandaged left eye. The groan that escaped made it clear that the kid was in excruciating pain, and Jiraiya knew that there was nothing he could do to help. At this point, about all he could think of was to get Kakashi back to Konoha as fast as possible, and hope that Tsunade would be able to reverse some of the damage already done.

"I might be able to help him...if you'd let me try, that is."

Jiraiya spun on his heel and glowered at the bound man. "Why would I let you anywhere near him? You're part of the reason why he's in such bad shape to begin with!"

The man's eyes went wide, and it was clear that he was terrified of him. But those blue eyes softened a bit when Kakashi's voice filled the silence.

"To be fair, Jiraiya, this man hasn't harmed me at all. He's the first one to actually try to help."

"And that's supposed to make me trust him? Come on, Kid. You'll have to do better than that!"

The sigh Kakashi let loose would have been comical if they weren't in such dire straits. "Fine. How about this...if we don't let him help me, I won't be in any shape to walk across this room, let alone make it out of this mountain."

Jiraiya had to hand to the Kid. He definitely had a point. Still, that didn't mean he'd just give in quietly. That simply wasn't his style.

"We don't need his help. I can heal you up good enough to get us outta here. I fixed your arms, didn't I?"

He watched Kakashi glance down at the severely bruised skin that still colored his once-broken arms. "Do you really want me to answer that one, Jiraiya?"

"Umm...I really do hate to interrupt...but if you truly do want to get out of here, you might want to save the arguing for later. Lord Omoikiru may be occupied right now, but I don't think he'll be too much longer."

Jiraiya turned back to face the man, and he hoped that the Kid wasn't calling this one wrong. "I'm gonna let you loose. But know this...if you do anything to harm my nephew over there, I'll make sure you live just long enough to regret it. You got that?"

The man's eyes went wide at the threat, and he quickly nodded his head in understanding. Jiraiya released the man and moved into a position that would allow him watch everything that happened from this point forward.

* * *

Kakashi warily watched the man approach, and hoped to Kami that he _wasn't_ reading him wrong. But he had to accept that there was no way that he'd be able to pull himself together enough to escape without some help, so in reality, he truly had no choice but to place his trust in this medic. Still, he barely managed to keep from flinching when the man reached out to examine the wounds scattered across his body, ending with the deeper cuts circling his neck.

"I'm going to start with these nastier wounds on your stomach before I work on anything else. Most of them look like they've already turned sour, and if they are ignored much longer, they may not take the healing at all."

Kakashi could see the concern in the medic's blue eyes, and couldn't help but believe his words. "Before you begin, there are two things that I would like to know from you."

A look of surprise crossed the man's face before he gave a small smile. "If it is within my power, I will answer any questions you have, young Master."

He cringed at the newest title given to him before launching into his questions. "First, what is your name, and second, why would you devote your life to this madman?"

The smile was wiped away with his second question, to be replaced by a grimace and a formal bow. "Forgive me, young Master. I should have introduced myself earlier. I am called Zensho. But I am troubled by your second question."

Kakashi raised his eyebrows. "Mah...did I hit a nerve by calling him a madman?"

Zensho scratched at his ear. "No, not at all. I'm wondering why you would think I am _devoted to_ him?"

Now that answer was definitely not one that he would have expected from the man. He narrowed his eye. "What are you saying?"

Zensho sighed before shaking his head and returning his attention to Kakashi's stomach. After he finished working on the first wound, the medic lifted his eyes up to meet his own. "I serve Lord Omoikiru because my entire village serves him, young Master. But that doesn't mean that I'm devoted to him."

Jiraiya snorted off to the side. "I've never known that man to give someone the choice of following him or not."

"True enough. But for those of us who are tasked with the health of the Family, we can never truly become one of them."

Kakashi ran the man's words over and over in his head, trying to find the meaning hidden under what was being said. "Healing chakra won't respond once someone gives themselves to the Family, will it?"

"You live up to Lord Omoikiru's praises. Once a user of healing chakra undergoes the initiation rites, they can no longer focus their energy in the ways needed to mend flesh and bone." He shifted to start working on the next wound. "Please, let me finish mending you as best that I can before we go farther into this discussion. There isn't much time left before the others will be returning, and I fear that I might not get to finish these puncture wounds in time."

Jiraiya moved closer. "Don't forget those cuts around his neck."

Kakashi saw a frown settle on the medic's lips. "I am sorry, young Master, but I can't heal those."

The man was grabbed by the shoulders and raised off the ground to face Jiraiya's full fury. "Can't...or _won't_? Dammit, Kakashi! I told you that we couldn't trust this guy!"

Zensho paled noticeably at the Sannin's words. To his credit, his voice remained steady as he answered. "I would definitely close them up if I could...but...these were created during an initiation rite."

The man was pulled closer to Jiraiya at that point. "What the hell kind of answer was _that_?"

Kakashi figured he'd better step in before the Toad Sage accidentally killed the man. "Jiraiya, set him down."

The incredulous look that the Sannin sent his way would probably have been enough to silence most sane people. But if there was one thing that Kakashi had never been accused of, it was being sane. So he threw his own patented glare back at the mountain of a man, and waited until the medic was placed back on the floor.

"Zensho, is there something about the way these incisions were made that keeps you from being able to close them up?"

The medic shot a wary look back at Jiraiya before finally returning to work on Kakashi's remaining stomach wounds. "I tried once to heal the open wounds from such a rite. And it cost my best friend his life."

Kakashi was about to comment on that, when Zensho shook his head and continued speaking. "Toriko was just eighteen years old when he was chosen to become one of the Sash-bearers. I'd promised my sister to watch over the man, but I couldn't keep him from catching Lady Akuen's eyes when we were first brought here. Others who had been captured with us tried to help us. They had managed to interrupt the rite and we escaped under cover of dark."

Jiraiya leaned forward, obviously caught up in the tale. "Did Omoikiru kill him?"

Zensho sighed, and sat back from Kakashi. "In a way, I suppose he did. But in the end, it was my own stupidity that truly cost Toriko his life. I sealed those wounds up, thinking that leaving them open would risk them getting infected. But instead, it sealed in the toxins used to cause the wounds in the first place. They ate into my friend's body and sent him into a fevered rage. One of the others had to kill him to keep him from breaking my neck."

Once again, the man shook his head at himself, and then he leaned forward to take a look at the mottled bruises covering Kakashi's right arm. "Do these still hurt, young Master?"

Kakashi ignored the question and asked one of his own. "Why did you come back?"

The frown was back. "By the time we buried Toriko, the Family had found us. They killed four of us right there as punishment for leaving. The rest of us were brought back here against our will, and given an audience with Omoikiru himself."

Zensho's voice lowered to a whisper. "That man pushed his way into our thoughts and made us question more than just our loyalties to our village. By the time he was done, he had made some of them an offer...death, or a chance to join the Family."

"And what did he offer _you_, Zensho?"

The medic bit at his lower lip even as he massaged a soothing balm into Kakashi's bruises. "I was to serve as their medic, or all of the others would be killed...regardless of their own choices."

Jiraiya cursed. "Now I _really_ wish I had managed to kill that bastard back then." He clapped his hands together, causing Zensho to flinch. "Oh well. Guess I'll just have to settle for killing him _this_ time."

Kakashi faced the Sannin with a frown. "Seriously, Jiraiya, can't we just concentrate on getting out of here?"

The man perched his fists on his hips and smiled broadly at him. "Why not do both?"

"You do realize this headache of mine is getting worse, right?"

Jiraiya frowned. "Sorry about that. I guess I just got caught up in the moment."

Kakashi had to chuckle at that. "Just try not to sound so much like Gai when you're doing that. I've already got more than enough nightmares about this place without you adding any more."

"Talk about your headache reminds me, young Master...Lord Omoikiru had mentioned that you may be suffering from a concussion from earlier. May I check your head wound?" Zensho stood up and moved to stand behind him.

Kakashi stopped him by gripping his arm. "It's nothing. Concentrate on covering these neck wounds so we can get the hell out of here."

Zensho paled noticeably at his words. "I already told you that I _can't_ heal those."

"True enough. But I don't really want to leave them uncovered all the way back to Konoha. I'm going to be cold enough as it is."

It was at that moment that the two men seemed to notice Kakashi's state of partial undress. Jiraiya sputtered in surprise, while Zensho chuckled softly.

"I can try to find something that might fit you, young Master."

Kakashi was about to thank the man, when a far too familiar feeling crept over him. He turned toward Jiraiya and managed to hiss out a warning. _"He's coming."_

Thankfully, it was all the Sannin needed to cue him to disappear just a few moments before Omoikiru faded into existence directly in front of Kakashi. The look on the madman's face made it clear that he wasn't happy.

"Why must everything connected to you try my patience so?" The dark-haired man scanned him from head to toe before he spun around to face Zensho. "And _who_ gave you permission to release his bonds!"

Kakashi felt the air around them turn icy cold, and he knew that if he didn't do something soon, the medic would be in danger of receiving one of Omoikiru's punishments. So he bit down any retorts he might have been wanting to say, and tried to divert the bastard from where Zensho was already cowering.

"It's not like I'm able to run away. Thanks to you and your _family_, it'll be a long time before I can even walk."

That did it. Omoikiru spun back toward him, and had his hand around Kakashi's neck before the last word had left his mouth.

"I've told you before, child. Do not think that you are beyond punishment."

Those long fingers pressed into Kakashi's flesh, threatening to close off his airway. The pressure applied seemed to be mirrored by the pressure building behind the bandage on his eye, and he was unable to keep the moan of pain from slipping from his lips. But still, Omoikiru's fingers dug into his throat until the edges of his vision started to darken from lack of oxygen.

"_Please_, my Lord. I shouldn't have released the boy. I see that now. You should be punishing me, not him."

Zensho's plea must have somehow reached the madman, because a moment later and Kakashi was released. He leaned forward, and hungrily gasped for air until those dark spots pushed away from his vision. It took him a moment before he could focus enough to see in front of him.

He'd expected to see Omoikiru's wrath being dealt out to Zensho mercilessly. But instead, he saw the medic kneeling in front of the man, and leaning into his open hand. It instantly reminded Kakashi of how his nin-hounds would lean into his palm when he was petting them. It made him wonder if perhaps Zensho was Omoikiru's pet.

He shook his head to clear his mind of such a bizarre thought, and instantly regretted the motion as the room started to spin. He felt himself leaning farther forward, and thought for certain that he would hit the floor, when his movement was stopped by two sets of hands guiding him back into the chair.

The hand that had so recently tried to choke the life out of Kakashi, now smoothed his silver hair away from his sweat covered brow to reveal the bandage that Zensho had applied to his eye.

"Explain this."

"My Lord, his eye was troubling him greatly, and was making it impossible for me to treat his remaining injuries." The medic exchanged a quick glance with Kakashi that seemed to silently beg him not to contradict what he was saying. "And the bindings were removed in order to better treat the bruising on his arms."

Omoikiru sighed and went back to smoothing Kakashi's hair. "Have you determined how long it will be until he is strong enough to survive the Rite?"

Kakashi pushed words through a throat that still felt constricted. "Do you mean before...or _after_ you tried to choke me...again?"

Surprisingly, Omoikiru's only reaction to his words was to chuckle deep in his chest. "I'm waiting for your answer, Zensho."

"My Lord, if it is your desire to have him strong enough to withstand a full initiation while maintaining his sanity, then it will be at least two weeks before the attempt should be made."

The hand stroking his hair stilled. "And if his sanity is not a concern?"

Kakashi's breath caught is his throat, even as he waited to hear Zensho's response. Would this madman truly risk his sanity at this point?

"I'm afraid that his body will still not be physically able to withstand the full rite for ten days, my Lord."

"I see." Omoikiru's hand resumed its previous motion. "Perhaps if you behave this time, child, I might just let you heal for the full time."

Kakashi held back the sarcastic response that was at the tip of his tongue, but that didn't keep the bastard from hearing it all the same.

"Behaving badly is not behaving, child. Nor will it be tolerated."

"Get used to it. I'll fight you every step of the way."

* * *

Omoikiru had to admire the young man's tenacity. Never before had he encountered one who was so steadfast in his devotion to his village. And with each passing day, he knew that he would never willingly give up such a prize...even if the jonin hadn't been predestined to be his heir.

"You say that now, but you will change your tune once the rite is complete."

Omoikiru walked over to where Zensho was busy laying out more bandages and balms. He looked down to see that the man was reaching for one of the more powerful healing salves and stopped him by picking it up himself. He slipped it into his pocket before addressing the medic.

"You have no need for such a powerful healing aid. I want our guest to feel every injury until he has accepted that he is to become my heir."

He turned back toward where Kakashi was glaring at him. The youngster was so close to holding the world in his hand, and yet he wanted nothing more than to push it all away. And, as much as it irked Omoikiru to admit it, the world seemed determined to keep the child from taking that final step as well. First, by giving him the means to destroy the chakra device, and then by having his own daughter betray him so completely. And now...now the child's body was too weak to allow the completion of the rite.

Omoikiru returned to Kakashi's side and ran the tips of his fingers over the incisions encircling his pale neck. He relished the shudder that his touch caused in the silver-haired jonin. After a moment more, he leaned in closer.

"Your luck continues to astound me, Child. My plans to bring you into the fold will be delayed once more."

He watched a smirk play across Kakashi's lips. "Maybe you should take the hint and let me go."

Omoikiru narrowed his eyes. "But I _have_ taken the hint, Child. Which is why I know that the end results will be worth every delay along the way. Once you accept that, Kakashi Hatake, things will be much easier for you."

"The only thing that I will ever accept, where _you_ are concerned, is the fact that you will _never_ make me a part of your twisted family."

Ha stood and crossed his arms. "This is growing tiresome, Child. If what you say is really true, then why have all your attempts to leave me failed so miserably?"

Before Kakashi could answer him, Omoikiru's attention was drawn away by the feeling of immense anxiety from three out of four of his newly initiated Sash-bearers. He turned to face Zensho once more.

"You are to continue to care for him until I tell you otherwise. Do not let history repeat itself."

The medic bowed low before him. "I swear it, my Lord."

With that, Omoikiru concentrated on where his followers were mentally crying out for help and vanished from the room.

* * *

Jiraiya sometimes wondered about how different his life might have been if he had decided to follow the path of a writer fully, instead of continuing to be a shinobi. He chuckled to himself. For starters, right about now he'd be sitting in comfort in the best onsen, soaking his muscles in perfectly heated water, surrounded by enough beauties that he'd never run out of inspiration in a million years.

Of course, he hadn't made that choice, no matter how often his publisher had recommended it. Which was why he was currently crouched in a dark alcove waiting for Omoikiru's latest batch of sash-bearing fools to walk past him so that he could continue on his way.

From his vantage point, he could clearly see that this newest batch was taking the job quite serious. Each one bore the freshly healed incisions around their necks that showed they were sealed to Omoikiru's service, and which reminded Jiraiya that he needed to keep that madman from completing the rite he'd started on Kakashi. That kid was screwed up enough without making him the puppet of the likes of Omoikiru. Which was why he needed to make sure he finished this once and for all.

He frowned. He still couldn't believe Tsunade had been foolish enough to ignore all the warnings left to her from the previous Hokage. And he _knew_ that those warnings couldn't possibly have been misunderstood. It was nearly as crazy as him running off alone to save the kid.

Okay, so they were both certifiably crazy. That didn't change the fact that the longer Kakashi stayed in this place, the more likely it would be that Omoikiru's plans to pull the kid into his warped family would succeed. Which meant that the only way to get the kid outta here safely was to make sure the psycho was too busy elsewhere in this cavernous hideout too notice they were gone. And what better way to ensure that than a squadron of devoted toads?

That thought firmly in place, Jiraiya waited where he was for a solid five minutes more after he'd seen those fools walk around the bend in the corridor. Only then did he step out of that alcove and kneel on the ground. A series of hand signs with just the right amount of chakra led to the hallway being filled with seventy-five of his best toads. Each one had worked with him many times in the past, and each knew instantly just why he'd summoned them.

Jiraiya reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a handful of parchment scraps that he'd taken to carrying around for just this type of situation. He held them out on his outstretched hands and, with a nod of his head, each toad took at least one of them before heading out into the shadows. Once the last toad left, Jiraiya let loose a large sigh before he stood. At least he could depend on these particular summons to stay out of sight until their task was done. Which meant that now he could concentrate on getting Kakashi the hell out of here and back to Konoha.

He knew that they would work quickly, and as though in answer to that thought, he heard the first explosion just before the ground rumbled under his feet. The shouts from the direction of those sash-wearing fools was all he needed to hear to know that Omoikiru would be showing up there soon to keep his new playthings safe. With a smirk on his face, Jiraiya sank into the ground and reemerged in the room where he'd left Kakashi with the medic.

He was pleased to see that the kid was still free of his bindings, and even happier when he saw the medic helping the jonin into some borrowed clothing. Kakashi grinned like a fool at him, while the medic continued to fuss over how the borrowed shirt was sitting on the kid's neckline.

"Ready to go home?"

"More than ever." He watched Kakashi attempt to push himself up to standing only to have his legs buckle under him.

Jiraiya was at his side instantly, ending his descent toward the floor. The jonin curved his eye at him in one of those forced smiles of his. "Well, maybe I'm not quite as ready as I had hoped."

He shook his head at the man. "Sometimes I truly wonder just how the heck you're still alive."

"Just lucky, I guess."

"Right. Now _that_ I can believe."

A resounding explosion shook the room. Jiraiya knew that his window of opportunity was about to disappear rather quickly unless he got these two out of the mountain within the next five minutes. Otherwise, the next series of exploding tags set by his toads would end up burying them right alongside Omoikiru and his insane band of followers.

He lifted Kakashi into his arms and turned toward Zensho. "Can you lead us out?"

The medic looked a bit unsure of himself at first, or perhaps a bit distracted, but soon he gave a quick nod and headed toward the door. "Come quickly. There is a way out close to this room that few know of."

Jiraiya frowned. Something about this seemed off, but as Kakashi moved in his arms he knew that he didn't have the luxury of trying to find another way out of this place. So he followed the medic down one hallway after another until, at last, the man placed his hand into a recessed alcove on a section of wall that looked no different than any of the dozens they had already passed. But when Zensho pulled his hand back, Jiraiya saw that there was a small amount of blood on the tip of the man's fingers.

A moment later, and a section of that very same wall slid soundlessly out of the way and provided the trio direct access to the harsh environment that made the Snow Country famous. They stepped out onto the snow covered ground, and Kakashi pressed himself closer to Jiraiya when the frigid air swirled around them. The space that they'd passed through sealed shut behind them, and Jiraiya knew it was time to put as much distance as possible between them and this cursed place.

He turned toward Zensho and transferred Kakashi into the man's arms. "Hold him close and don't let go. Got it?"

The medic took a firm hold of the injured man and gave him a nod. That was all Jiraiya needed to see before he ran through the hand signs for his summoning jutsu and channeled a large enough quantity of chakra into it that the Toad King himself appeared before them. The great toad looked like he was about to scold Jiraiya for disturbing him, but instead his eyes focused on the unmasked form of the Copy Ninja, and any harsh words died on the beast's lips.

"I haven't seen that kid without his mask since he was a tadpole. What's going on, Jiraiya-boy?"

Another explosion went off within the bowels of the mountain and sent a shower of debris to fall all around them. "It's a pretty good story, Boss. But one that I'd rather not start until we're back home. Can you give us a lift?"

Gamabunta lowered his mighty head until he was nearly nose to nose with Kakashi. "You don't look so good, Kid."

Jiraiya held back a chuckle when Kakashi responded. "And here I thought you liked my face, Grandpa Toad."

"Who are you calling Grandpa, hmm?" That head turned toward Jiraiya. "Looks like whatever happened here jostled the Kid's memory. Let's get him outta this place."

"Whatever you say, Boss." He moved to the medic's side and, with a quick hand-sign, moved them to the top of the proud toad's head.

"Hold on, kids. You'll be home before you know it!"

They had just managed to take a single hop away when the area that they'd just left exploded into a ball of fire. Jiraiya ventured a look back and watched the trees surrounding that mountain complex bend and burn under the fury of the explosion. Another hop and they were far away from that place.

He helped the medic lower Kakashi down onto the toad's head and smiled at the kid. "I'm pretty sure that even _that_ bastard isn't fireproof."

He watched that silver-clad head turn back toward the way that they'd come. His words were barely above a whisper. "I hope you're right, Jiraiya. Because I don't think I'll be able to resist him if he gets a hold of me again."

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself, Kid. Once you're back in Konoha, and all healed up, you'll know that someone like Omoikiru won't ever be able to take you over."

Kakashi turned back toward him with such a haunted look in his eye that Jiraiya was momentarily at a loss for words. But just when the silence would have become uncomfortable, a small puff of white smoke appeared between them. When that smoke cleared, a medium-sized toad was grinning up at them. His short arms held a what looked like a pile of dark cloth, which the toad promptly handed over to Kakashi.

The jonin's haunted look was instantly replaced by a look of sheer joy when he held up what turned out to be a face mask. Jiraiya laughed at the kid who was now desperately trying to get the material to do his bidding while the wind whipped past them.

"Pops said you had enough stalkers already, so he figured you'd better cover that face of yours up before you got to Konoha!"

Zensho helped tame the wild material, and soon Kakashi looked more at ease than he had since Jiraiya had first found him. It was as though the return of the mask truly marked the end of this nightmare, and at last, the trials of his captivity caught up with the jonin, and he fell into a deep sleep. The medic continued to watch over Kakashi throughout the journey, and Jiraiya allowed himself to nod off as well, confident that he and his nephew we safe at last.


	15. Home Sweet Home

Chapter 15

Home Sweet Home

It had been over nine months since Kakashi had been rescued by Jiraiya, and he was still waking up in a cold sweat at all hours of the night. Most of the time he would have no clear recollection of just what he'd been dreaming. But other times, like tonight, he would remember every gruesome detail, leaving him on edge and unable to fall back asleep. He pushed himself up in his bed and yanked his mask down, gasping for a full breath to clear his head. The metallic taste of blood coated his tongue, and he couldn't be certain if it was just a memory from the dream, or if he had somehow bitten down on his cheek in his sleep. He pushed himself off of his bed and made his way to his bathroom in the hopes of discovering the truth.

Once he was standing in front of the sink, Kakashi ran his fingers through his hair, frowning at the fact it was soaked by sweat. His heart still raced as the images of his latest dream replayed within his mind, and he cursed himself for reacting in such a way. After all, it wasn't like he'd never had nightmares before. Hell, with everything that he'd experienced in his lifetime it would have been a miracle if he _didn't_ have them. But even the worst of those dreams from his past couldn't hold a candle to what he'd been experiencing since he'd been taken away from that mountain fortress. Tonight's included scenes of horrific massacres, where he was being used against his will to wipe out every soul in Konoha. Each dream was more detailed than the ones before, and each left him fearing a bit more for his sanity.

He drew a slow breath in through his nose as he opened his mouth to inspect it. There was no blood. Kakashi furrowed his brow, even as the taste within his mouth contradicted what he saw with his own eye. He even went so far as to open the sharingan to confirm the findings, and knew that there wasn't a speck of blood there. Frowning, he turned the tap on and cupped his hand under the ice cold stream of water. Perhaps, if he rinsed his mouth out, it might just convince his brain that the foul liquid was no longer there. By the time he'd finished, his sense of taste and his brain had finally caught up to reality. He sighed and sat down on the edge of his tub. Any hopes of returning to sleep were long gone, and he was far too worked up for Icha Icha to have any calming effects on him. Which left just one thing...training.

The moment that Kakashi had been cleared to leave the hospital after his trials in Snow Country, he had thrown himself completely into one of the most complex and grueling training regimes that he could think up. His time with Omoikiru had done much to open his eyes to just how outclassed he had been by that man and his fanatical followers. And he had made himself the promise that he'd never be caught so off-guard again. So he pushed himself to his limits every chance he had in the hopes of making sure he never felt so outmatched again.

His mind made up, Kakashi pulled his shirt off and performed what had now become a regular part of his life since his return. He reached for a small jar of salve that was perched on the shelf above the sink, and opened it to reveal a foul-smelling dark green concoction. Lady Tsunade had worked side by side with Zensho to make the stuff, and instructed him to smear it over each of the open cuts that still surrounded his neck. Once it made contact with those wounds, a small chemical reaction occurred that transformed the salve into an odor-free, breathable liquid bandage. It eliminated the risk of infection from dirt or sweat, while it still allowed the wound to think it was wide open, thus removing the fear of the toxins worming their way any farther into his bloodstream. Still, he hoped that the two would continue to work on the salve a bit more to remove the stench that greeted him every time his opened the jar.

But the main thing was that Kakashi had been able to resume his duties as a shinobi much quicker than any of them had expected. This was exactly what he had needed to start to push his abilities beyond what he'd always thought were his limits. Which was why he'd initially wanted to get back to running solo missions. Of course, when he had requested just that a month ago, the Hokage had refused to even consider it, threatening to tie him up, toss him into an ANBU cell, and throw away the key.

Kakashi chuckled at the memory. Tsunade's face turned a shade of red that reminded him so much of the last time he'd riled Iruka-sensei up, that he'd nearly laughed in her face. Thankfully his self-preservation instincts had kicked in, and he didn't have to be thrown against the wall for good measure. Instead, she'd agreed to let him return to full training schedules, but made sure that the only missions he'd be assigned would be those within the confines of the Village, or within a limited radius of Konoha with a full jonin team backing him up.

The most frustrating part of these 'outside missions' was that they were never higher than an A-rank. Which made him annoyed, as it meant the Village's elite shinobi were not being utilized for the riskier, and therefore more financially lucrative, assignments. Because of this, Kakashi had stopped asking for out of village assignments. It wouldn't do anyone any good to have a decrease in Village funds. And if word got out that Konoha was no longer taking high level missions, it would only be a matter of time before the other Villages saw it as a sign of weakness and thought that they might be weak enough to risk attacking them. And the way his luck was going lately, they'd probably join up with other misguided Villages out there and make this a lot messier than it needed to be.

He'd been involved in the Third Great Shinobi War, and he knew that nothing good ever truly came from such conflicts. Even the winning side would be far less than it was at the start of the war, and all of the villages involved would take years to regain any semblance of normality...if they ever did. Kakashi's own experiences during that time had taught him one certainty; in times of war nothing was sacred. Evil men lived, honorable ones were sacrificed, and even the purest of people could be turned against all they held dear. No, the last thing any of them needed right now was another war. He'd lost far too many precious people to such things already.

Pushing thoughts of things he couldn't change out of his mind, Kakashi concentrated on putting a fresh uniform before heading out for one of the more isolated training fields. His latest training routines were far too loud and messy to practice closer to where the civilians had their homes, and if he could keep off the radar of other concerned shinobi at the same time, then it would be all the better. After all, today he was planning to focus on finding a way to trigger whatever it was that Jiraiya insisted had happened with his sharingan during their time at the mountain. But nothing during his captivity felt any different to him when it came to Obito's eye. So the question was, how could he trigger something when he had no idea what it was in the first place?

He sighed as the same thoughts he'd been battling with since he'd returned to Konoha threatened to overwhelm him. A part of him knew that he'd need this new skill in his arsenal down the road, but a larger part of him felt like he couldn't afford to wait any longer. That thought alone was enough to bolster his purpose, and without wasting another moment, Kakashi formed the needed hand-sign and disappeared from his room.

* * *

Genma skidded to a stop, one hand on the ground to keep himself from toppling over. It had been a long time since he'd been caught so completely off guard during a mission, but one quick glance around the clearing showed him that he wasn't alone in that thought. The look on his teammates' faces showed their minds coming to the same conclusion; the intel on the strengths of this rogue group of shinobi was vastly understated. But that didn't mean that they would tuck tail and run away. Nope. It just meant they'd need to get a bit more serious in how they fought them. His other hand moved to his weapons pouch and removed another round of senbon.

There was something truly spooky in how their opponents worked together. Each one of them always seemed to know when one of the others needed an extra hand, and would show up to stop what might have otherwise been a killing blow. Of course, the same could be said about his own team. Years of doing missions together made him and his three teammates act like one. But they had over a decade together to form such a bond. This group of rogue ninja didn't look old enough to have such a past behind them. In fact, by the height and body size, Genma figured that they were probably no older than fifteen or sixteen at most.

Perhaps he could verify that guess once they had finished this battle. Then he would be able to remove the odd, green head-cloth that covered the left half of each of their faces. Between that, and the way all of them wore their bangs long enough to fall over the rest of their faces, it made it impossible to truly see much about the shinobi themselves. But the unknown was not something that would scare away Genma, so he flashed a quick series of hand-signs, knowing that his teammates caught there meaning, before charging forward while letting loose a barrage of senbon laced with one of the stronger sedatives in his arsenal, targeting two of the largest shinobi in the group.

At the same instant that he had rushed forward, the rest of his team went into motion as well. Aoba summoned his swarm of crows and sent them to weave in and out of the field of battle, in an attempt to keep the unknown shinobi from having clear lines of view to each other. Meanwhile, Izuma moved like a shadow within the mass of birds until he was close enough to activate his signature syrup-field jutsu. Genma knew his teammates had succeeded when a string of curses came from the mouths of those shinobi who were unfortunate enough to become ensnared in the sticky goo that covered the immediate area.

Those curses, however, ended as quickly as they had begun, and it wasn't until Aoba recalled his crows that Genma could fathom just why it had gone silent so suddenly. Stuck to Izuma's sticky field of syrup was a cluster of the unknown shinobi. The unnatural bend of their bodies was the first hint that somehow those caught within the goo were now lifeless. A quick glance at Aoba and Izuma made it clear that neither of them had used lethal force in their jutsu, knowing that they needed to take them alive for Ibiki to get to the bottom of all this. This left them all cautious as they approached, wondering if perhaps it was all just an elaborate ruse to catch them off-guard. But as Izuma reversed his jutsu, and the syrup-field disappeared, the cluster of bodies remained unmoving.

A quick count showed Genma that all the enemy that they'd been fighting seemed to be accounted for. Now all that they needed to discover was just who their adversaries were and what might have killed them off. He rolled over the first one he came to, brushed back the long brown bangs hiding half his face, and frowned. It was a kid. Hell, by the looks of it he wasn't much older than his youngest brother; fifteen years old at the most. There was a strange tint to the kid's lips that gave him his first clue of just how he'd died. He'd seen this kind of thing once or twice before when he was on teams that were tasked with tracking down spies.

A simple capsule in one of the back teeth was enough to send a lethal dose of a quick-acting drug into a shinobi's system. Then all that was left was cleaning up the bodies. But he'd never known any of the spy networks in the Five Countries to use kids like this. One or two, yes...but never this many in such an organized crew. Something about this whole mess just felt wrong. And that feeling doubled when he pulled the swath of cloth away from the other side of the kid's face. Staring back at him was a barely healed scar that ran from just above his left eyebrow, through the eye itself, and then ended a good inch and a half under his cheekbone. A frown settled on Genma's face.

"Hey! We've got a live one over here!"

He walked over to join Izuma and noted that there was one of his senbon sticking out of the young girl's neck. Sure enough, he could see the gentle rising and falling of her chest which was a sure sign that he'd managed to hit the mark before she'd had a chance to bite done on the poison which had claims her teammates' lives. Not willing to take a chance that the girl would wake up any time soon, Genma quickly added another laced senbon to the mix. He then pushed her hair and facecloth to the side, confirming once more that they were dealing with a bunch of kids. But more disturbing than that was the fact that this kid had an identical scar bisecting her left eye as well. This was just getting weirder and weirder.

He looked up to see that the others had placed the kids in a row. Each one seemed to be of similar build, and now, with the face cloths pulled to the side, it was easy to see that they all were scarred in exactly the same way. What the hell was going on? He turned his attention back to the girl in front of him. Like all the others, she didn't look a day over fifteen. He bent over her and pried the scarred lid open. What he saw sent a chill down his spine. Within the eye socket sat a blood red gem that was giving off a subtle glow. Genma's heart raced a bit at the eerie resemblance to Kakashi's sharingan.

He'd heard rumors about what had happened to his friend during his last mission. Well, as much as anyone heard rumors relating to ANBU missions, and he couldn't help but wonder if some other psycho out there was targeting the man. He shook his head and moved over to the line of bodies. Once there, Genma pried open one of the other kid's scarred lid, expecting to see another red gem, confirming that Kakashi was the subject of another sharingan obsessed nut. He breathed a sigh of relief when it didn't hold a red gem. Instead, a bright green emerald sat within the socket.

Checking the remaining bodies revealed a total of five differently colored stones; red, green, blue, orange, and a silvery white. There was nothing on any of them that might show where they came from, which made it appear that this truly was just a random bunch of rogues. But something about the ritualistic scarring, and the strange glow in the gems, still bugged Genma. Enough so that he decided that they needed to take them all back to T & I...not just the one that was still breathing. Between Ibiki's interrogation of the survivor, and Shizune's autopsies of the dead, they were sure to find out every secret this strange band of kids held.

* * *

To an outside observer, the large crater two-thirds of the way across the field would likely be impressive. To an outside observer, the fact that circular sections of wood had been eviscerated from several of the trees bordering the crater may seem amazing. But to Kakashi, all he could see was the fact that the small target fifty feet to the right of the smoldering crater had been left completely untouched. And that alone made him sigh in frustration, even as he pulled his headband down over his throbbing sharingan.

After figuring out that what Jiraiya had described to him had to be an advanced form of Obito's sharingan eye, Kakashi had scoured every last shred of documentation he could find on the subject. Unfortunately, without access to any of the secret Uchiha family scrolls, there were only four vague references to the Mangekyo state from others who had witnessed it over two generations ago. And even then, there had been only one passage of any real use. It had mentioned that the Uchiha that had apparently held the advanced stage had also been found to have killed his best friend in some unknown encounter. So, when Kakashi took the time to meditate on what he'd experienced just prior to his unintentional use of his advanced sharingan back in Snow Country, he'd realized that it had been just after he'd pushed his Chidori through Raido's heart. After that revelation, it had been a matter of trial and error to find the exact memory, combined with a precise hand-sign, that would help him tap into this new skill.

The first time that he'd intentionally triggered the technique, Kakashi had nearly lost it when he saw the air in front of him ripple and blur around the edges, and he had felt his chakra rapidly drain to feed what he'd realized was a spacial distortion. But he refocused his attention and managed to regain control of it long enough to figure out the basics...whatever he managed to center the distortion on would phase out of existence when he cut off the chakra flow. It seemed easy enough, in theory. Unfortunately, the distortion was nearly impossible to aim effectively with only one sharingan. And because it was such a high chakra drainer, he was very limited on the number of times that he could actually practice with it in a given day.

Kakashi ran his fingers through his sweat-dampened hair and moved to the entrance of the training field. He reached for his uniform shirt and frowned when he noted that his hand shook with the movement. This new technique was definitely taking more out of him than he'd prefer, but he could only hope that, the more he practiced, the less taxing it would be. He shrugged into his shirt and was just about to put on his vest when he felt a flare of familiar chakra just beyond the tree-line. By the time Asuma Sarutobi stepped in front of him, Kakashi had finished fastening his vest and had shoved his hands deep into his pants pockets.

His friend's dark eyes met his, and it was clear that there was something on his mind. After a moment, Asuma pulled out his pack of cigarettes and, after slipping one in between his own teeth, he offered the pack to Kakashi. Now, he'd known this man pretty much his entire life, so he still found the fact that he would always offer him a cigarette when he needed to tell him something important rather amusing. Of course, the only reaction he showed outwardly was to raise his one visible eyebrow at the man's actions. Asuma frowned and replaced his cigarette pack to his pocket. But instead of saying what he'd obviously come to talk about, the man took a step to the side and gave an low whistle.

"Who the hell have you been training with, Kakashi?"

That brought a frown to his face. "No one."

"Ahh, right. So then how many shadow clones did you use? Five?"

"I didn't use any clones."

Asuma scratched behind his ear and turned back to face him. "You expect me to believe that _you_ did this...on your own?"

Taking another look at the practice field, all Kakashi came away with was his failure. He sighed. "I know. I just can't seem to get it right."

His friend jerked a thumb toward the training ground. "_That's_ not getting it right?"

Kakashi let loose a long sigh and shrugged. "It's off by fifty feet."

Asuma took a drag on his cigarette, allowing the wisps of smoke to escape back out through his nose. "Off or not, I'm glad you're on our side."

Kakashi chuckled. "I'm sure that's why you went out of your way to track me down."

That was enough to refocus Asuma to whatever reason he was there for. A strangely pensive look crossed the man's face, and it looked like he was struggling to find the right words. The silence stretched on long enough for the man to finish his cigarette. But, at last, Asuma cleared his throat and rubbed at the back of his neck, avoiding Kakashi's eyes altogether.

"So, yeah...I wanted to ask you something."

The man fell silent, evidently deciding that studying the back of his hand was more urgent than asking Kakashi whatever the hell it was that he meant to ask him.

"Really, Asuma. I'd like to take a shower some time today."

"Right. So, I was wondering..."

But before another word could be said, an ANBU appeared between them. The mask was instantly recognized by Kakashi as one of the Hokage's personal guards.

"You are needed."

He sighed. "So much for my shower. Asuma, can what you need to ask wait a bit longer?"

His friend's face took on a look somewhere between relief and concern. "Yeah, sure. It can wait."

The feel of the ANBU's hand on his shoulder was the only warning he had that they wouldn't be walking to the Hokage Tower, and the next thing he knew, they had arrived. But, rather than appearing in Tsunade's office like he'd presumed, they were in the bowels of T & I's medical wing. Kakashi frowned. He was pretty sure that he hadn't missed any of his scheduled check ups, so he was confused over why he was being brought here. That confusion grew tenfold when they entered the morgue.

Standing in the center of the room were Tsunade, Shizune, Genma, along with a full compliment of ANBU. Along one wall was a line of examination tables, each with a body on them. The tension in the room was thick, and the look in Tsunade's golden eyes made it clear that this wasn't going to be good news. A kernel of apprehension settled into his stomach as he noticed Genma continually glancing between him and the bodies.

Kakashi shoved his hands into his pockets and slouched. "This place is a bit morbid for a party, isn't it?"

He watched the senbon in Genma's mouth dip as a frown settled on his friend's face. Shizune clutched her clipboard tight enough to turn her knuckles white before looking away from him. Meanwhile Tsunade's eyes narrowed dangerously. She took a step toward him, her arms at her side, and her hands clenched.

"This is serious, Brat! Based on what Genma and his squad found, it looks like you might have another psychotic fan out there."

Kakashi sighed and took another glance around the room. The only reason he could think of that they'd meet in this room was that there was something peculiar about those laid out on the tables. He ran one hand over the back of his neck and moved to the first of ten tables. A cursory glance down the row showed him that every one of these bodies was much shorter than the average shinobi, with their feet a good two feet from the end of the metal tables. He turned his attention to the nearest body and found that he was looking at a young girl, no more than thirteen years old. Her face looked so peaceful that it was tempting to think that she had simply fallen asleep, but the tint of her lips was off, making it clear to him that she'd been a victim of poison.

He stepped closer and noticed the prominent scar crossing through her left eyelid in what appeared to be a mockery of his own. And, as he moved from one table to the next, he found that all of these kids bore the same disfigurement. He walked back to the first table. By the looks of them, it was clear to see just why the Hokage had thought he was being targeted again. After all, he was the only person he knew of that was scarred in such an easily identifiable way at such a young age.

Tsunade crossed the room to stand at his side. "The scars alone are enough to make me worried, Kakashi. But they were encountered _inside _Fire Country's borders, and I don't ever remember hearing reports of this many kids being quite _this_ organized."

Genma leaned against the next table and crossed his arms. "It was weird. None of them had anything on them showing where they're from, and they didn't even talk until we had them caught in the syrup jutsu. Even then it was just a few curses before they took there own lives. Before that, they just seemed to _know_ what the others were doing, no matter how we changed things up."

Kakashi frowned and leaned closer to inspect the eyelid of the girl on the table. He could tell that the socket behind the lid was not empty. So he carefully pried it open, and was a bit surprised to see a red gemstone set within. Perhaps, within their warped viewpoint, these kids thought that this was as close to the sharingan as they could get.

He released his hold on the eyelid and turned to face the others. "Do they all have the red gemstone hidden behind the scar?"

Tsunade started biting on the edge of thumb, while Genma answered his question. "Not exactly. They all have gems...but only a few of them are red."

"Only a few?" He scanned the row of bodies again. "What about the others?"

Shizune stepped up, flipping through the papers on her clipboard. "Several had emeralds. A few had sapphires. Two had topaz. And one had...hmmm...here it is...an opal."

Kakashi closed his eye and thought through everything he'd learned. That kernel of apprehension in his stomach had officially turned into something much worse. He opened his eye and saw that everyone was staring at him, as though waiting for him to speak. He shoved his hands back into his pockets and sighed.

"Well, the good news is that I don't think I have a new psychopath after me."

The look of confusion all around him nearly made him laugh. Genma, however, didn't miss a beat. "And what's the bad news, Kakashi?"

"I think Omoikiru isn't quite out of my life yet."

Genma scratched along the edge of his bandana. "Who the hell is Omoikiru?"

Meanwhile, Tsunade's face lost all color. "How can you be sure?"

He gave a humorless chuckle. "Because, aside from the Yamanaka, his followers are the only ones I've ever met who can communicate that flawlessly in the midst of a battle."

The Hokage frowned. "That's not much to go by."

He sighed again. "Okay, how about the fact that those gems match the colors of that bastard's sash-bearers...including the color he assigned to me."

Kakashi watched her eyes go wide at his words. "I never should have sent you on that mission."

He met her eyes steadily. "It's a little late for that now. All we can do is make sure we're ready for when he makes his next move."

"What makes you so sure that he'll make another move?"

He glanced back toward the body on the table. "Because this was his way of letting me know that he could reach me wherever I go. Even here. I imagine he's a bit pissed off about how we left things."

Genma pushed away from the table he'd been leaning on. "And just how did you leave things?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Jiraiya blew up Omoikiru's mountain hideout...with him still in it."

"That's gotta hurt." His friend pulled the senbon out from between his lips and smirked at him. "Guess it's a good thing we managed to catch a live one, huh?"

He spun toward Tsunade, barely able to keep the anger and fear out of his voice. "Where are you keeping them?"

She snarled at him. "Give me _some_ credit, Brat! The girl is in maximum security, in an isolation cell, blindfolded and being kept sedated until I figure out how best to deal with her."

Kakashi let out a long breath. "Right. I take it I don't need to remind you that the bastard can communicate with her?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes at him. "What part of blindfolded and _unconscious_ didn't you get?"

He shrugged and made his way toward the door.

"Where the hell do you think you're going, Brat?"

Kakashi turned back to face her. "To get a shower, some food, and some much needed sleep."

"I'm serious, Kakashi."

He ran a hand through his hair. "So am I. I'm not going to be any use in what's to come until I get my chakra back up. After all, it's supposed to be my destiny to kill that bastard, and I what to make sure I'm up to the task."

Without waiting for her to respond, Kakashi made his way out of the morgue and back to his apartment. He was going to need to accelerate his training and find some way to tighten up his aiming of his Mangekyo sharingan before it was too late.

* * *

Zensho made his way through the busy streets of Konoha after his latest shift at the Hospital. His life had settled into quite the routine over the past months and he found himself feeling happier than he knew he had any right to be. He'd been allowed to use his medical skills on the civilian population, under the watchful eyes of Shizune or other medical-ninja of course. They'd even set him up in an apartment near the Hospital and let him more or less live a normal life.

He knew that he was still being watched. But somehow, as he walked through the streets, watching children playing in the late afternoon sun, and storefronts full of eager customers, he didn't really mind that fact. Zensho had never thought he'd enjoy the feel of the sun on his face again, and he sighed in contentment as he pulled out the key to his apartment. He chuckled at the action, knowing full well that even the least trained of the Konoha shinobi could opened a locked door. But he appreciated the sense of normalcy it gave him under the situation. A quick turn of the lock and he was home for the night.

The moment he stepped over his threshold, and shut the door, he was nearly brought to his knees as his mind was filled with a sensation he hadn't felt in months. It nearly made him cry out, but he bit back on the urge, knowing it would have brought his Konoha guards running in an instant. He steadied himself by placing a hand against the door and then quickly focused on the tug on his mind. It felt like a piece of him that he hadn't realized was gone had suddenly been returned to him, and when the sensation grew stronger yet, he couldn't keep the grin from stretching across his mouth. The feel of his Lord's palm against his cheek reassured him farther. He knew that if his services had been less than exemplary then he would already be dead.

"I trust that everything is prepared, my pet."

He'd leaned into his Lord's hand. "As you required, Lord Omoikiru."


End file.
